Women’s Empowerment at the Frontline of Adaptation

Agriculture and Food Security

Adaptation practices at household/community level ƒ ƒ Altered planting times: Farmers have altered the time that crops are planted (particularly paddy and maize) according to the rainfall. In addition, to cope with longer dry spells or heavy late rains, farmers are planting alternative crops to reduce the risk of complete crop failure. In the mid-hills of Nepal, for example, the study found that when the monsoon is late, farmers use their fields to grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and pumpkins instead of maize and paddy, which require less water. During winter dry spells, farmers switch from growing mustard to wheat and barley and, if a dry spell is very long and does not support even wheat or barley, they grow improved organic grass called ‘jai ghass’ for fodder. ƒ ƒ Inter cropping: Inter cropping is also used to reduce the risk of complete crop failure; for example, maize is planted with beans or cowpeas. ƒ ƒ Drought resistant crop varieties: Farmers are replacing local crop varieties with more drought resistant or pest tolerant varieties or changing cropping systems. For example, in the hills, farmers are replacing rice crops with finger millet, fruit trees, and fodder and forage crops for improved animal husbandry. ƒ ƒ Plastic tunnels to protect seedlings: Farmers make use of plastic tunnels to protect seedlings from heavy rain or frost and grow off-season vegetables. This technology also reduces instances of blight. ƒ ƒ Increased interaction with District Agriculture Development Office: Farmers are increasing their interaction with the District Agriculture Development Office for technical inputs and drought and flood resistant seeds. For example, in the hills, Bishesh and Gresko varieties of tomato have been introduced and Annapurna 3 and 4 varieties of wheat. ƒ ƒ Labour reducing adaptation for women: Women have developed various strategies to overcome these challenges, such as reinforcing ‘perma’ (labour sharing system), reducing the number of livestock, and shifting to cash crops such as broom grass, ginger, and sugarcane, which are less demanding. ƒ ƒ Wage labour and non-farm businesses: Farmers are opting for wage labour and small non-farm businesses to supplement income from agriculture. ƒ ƒ Sale of high-quality cereal to purchase cheaper rice: Farmers are selling locally produced, high-quality cereal on the local market at a high price to purchase cheaper rice and food products in order to make up for the food deficit. Adaptation practices by organizations ƒ ƒ Raising awareness on climate change: Organizations such as WWF (Hariyo Ban project), Care Nepal, the Multistakeholder Forestry Programme (MSFP), Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC), HIMAWANTI, FECOFUN, and others are raising awareness among communities on climate change and its impacts. ƒ ƒ Agricultural subsidies and technical inputs: The District Agriculture Development Office and other organizations are providing agricultural subsidies and technical inputs, including the promotion of crop diversification and the introduction of drought and pest resistant seed varieties (e.g., Annapurna 3 and 4 wheat varieties, Green Coroda carrot variety). ƒ ƒ Home gardens, seed conservation, seed banks, and integrated pest management: Organizations such as Local Initiative for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Sustainable Soil Management Programme of Helvetas, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), and UNDP’s Global Environment Facility are promoting home gardens, seed conservation, seed banks, and integrated pest management though technical inputs, training, and the introduction of more drought and pest resistant varieties. ƒ ƒ Seasonal riverbank farming: Seasonal riverbank farming is becoming increasingly popular in the Terai. Both large organizations, such as Helvetas and Plan International, and local organizations such as FORWARD (a local NGO) are promoting riverbank farming with promising results, particularly from growing seasonal fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and tomatoes.

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