Promoting Sustainable Farming Practices among Smallholders
Keywords:
sustainable agriculture, climate-smart farming, smallholder farmers, agroforestry, NepalAbstract
Nepal's agricultural sector faces critical challenges due to climate change, soil degradation, and fragmented land holdings, threatening food security and rural livelihoods. This study examines sustainable farming practices among smallholder farmers in Nepal, focusing on climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry systems, and participatory approaches. Through comprehensive literature review and analysis of recent interventions, the research identifies key barriers including limited financial resources, weak institutional frameworks, and inadequate market access. Findings reveal that integrated approaches combining organic farming, water conservation technologies, and agroforestry can increase productivity by 20-36% while improving environmental sustainability. The study emphasizes the importance of participatory implementation strategies, gender-inclusive policies, and strengthened coordination among stakeholders. Recommendations include enhanced technical capacity building, improved extension services, and development of climate-resilient value chains to ensure long-term agricultural sustainability and food security.
Downloads
References
Adhikari, R. P., Pokhrel, S., & Paudel, M. N. (2022). Good agriculture practices for safe food and sustainable agriculture in Nepal: A review. Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy, 3, 100024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clcb.2022.100024
Ceccarelli, S., & Grando, S. (2022). Return to agrobiodiversity: Participatory plant breeding. Diversity, 14(2), 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020126
CIMMYT. (2024). Driving innovation through digital agriculture: Digital Ag Nepal, 2024. https://www.cimmyt.org/news/driving-innovation-through-digital-agriculture-digital-ag-nepal-2024/
Ghimire, B., Paudel, G., Paudel, M. N., & Sharma, N. (2024). Agroforestry systems in Nepal: Enhancing food security and rural livelihoods—A comprehensive review. Food and Energy Security, 13(1), e524. https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.524
Gurung, D. B., Bajracharya, R. M., & Baillie, I. C. (2015). Effects of improved management and quality of farmyard manure on soil organic carbon contents in small-holder farming systems of the Middle Hills of Nepal. Climate and Development, 7(5), 426–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2014.989190
Hughes, K., Morgan, S., Baylis, K., Oduol, J., Smith-Dumont, E., Vågen, T. G., & Kegode, H. (2020). Assessing the downstream socioeconomic impacts of agroforestry in Kenya. World Development, 128, 104835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104835
Khanal, N., & Thapa, S. (2023). Agroecological approach to agricultural sustainability, food sovereignty and endogenous circular economy. Nepal Public Policy Review, 3(1), 49–78. https://doi.org/10.59552/nppr.v3i1.57
Khatri-Chhetri, A., Aryal, J. P., Sapkota, T. B., & Khurana, R. (2022). Institutional innovations for climate smart agriculture: Assessment of climate-smart village approach in Nepal. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 734319. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.734319
Khatri-Chhetri, A., Paudel, G. P., Maharjan, S., & Shrestha, P. (2024). A farmer-centric cost-benefit analysis of climate-smart agriculture in the Gandaki River Basin of Nepal. Climate, 12(9), 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli12090145
Khatri-Chhetri, A., Regmi, P. P., Chanana, N., & Aggarwal, P. K. (2020). Potential of climate-smart agriculture in reducing women farmers' drudgery in high climatic risk areas. Climatic Change, 158, 29–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2350-8
Kiptot, E., Franzel, S., Hebinck, P., & Richards, P. (2014). Sharing seed and knowledge: Farmer to farmer dissemination of agroforestry technologies in western Kenya. Agroforestry Systems, 68(3), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-006-9007-8
Kumar, B. M., Jose, S., & Nair, P. K. R. (2015). Tropical Homegardens: A Time-Tested Example of Sustainable Agroforestry. Springer.
Mbow, C., Smith, P., Skole, D., Duguma, L., & Bustamante, M. (2014). Achieving mitigation and adaptation to climate change through sustainable agroforestry practices in Africa. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 6, 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.09.002
Neupane, M. (2023, May 31). Reviving Nepal's agriculture. The Kathmandu Post. https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2023/05/31/reviving-nepal-s-agriculture
Muhsyanur et.al. (2025). Linguistic Identity Negotiation on TikTok : Glocal Practices of Indonesian Content Creators. LiNGUA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa Dan Sastra, 20(2), 85–97. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18860/ling.v20i2.32574
Muhsyanur, M. (2020). Types and trust system based on the ideology of Bugis community culture on local interest values in cenning rara spells. International Journal of Humanity Studies (IJHS), 4(1), 58–68. https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.24071/ijhs.v4i1.2652
Muhsyanur, M. (2023). The Bugis People’s Naming System in Bugis Ethnic Tradition. Journal of Language and Literature, 23(1), 67–76. https://doi.org/10.24071/joll.v23i1.5062
Muhsyanur, M. (2024). Love-Based Curriculum as a New Paradigm in Language Education : Between Cognition , Affection , and Spirituality. 2(5), 12–19.
Muhsyanur, Rahmatullah, A. S., Misnawati, Dumiyati, & Ghufron, S. (2021). The Effectiveness of “Facebook” As Indonesian Language Learning Media for Elementary School Student: Distance Learning Solutions in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Multicultural Education, 7(04), 38–47. https://www.mccaddogap.com/ojs/index.php/me/article/view/8%0Ahttps://www.mccaddogap.com/ojs/index.php/me/article/download/8/10
Mulyana, Y., Akbar, Z., Zainal, H., Jiwantara, F. A., Muhsyanur, Yusriadi, Y., & Bin-Tahir, S. Z. (2021). High domestic violence during the pandemic COVID-19. Proceedings of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, 6283–6290. https://doi.org/10.46254/an11.20211059
Santalia, Indo, & Muhsyanur. (2025). The curriculum of love and eco-theology as the basis of the Istiqlal declaration implementation movement. HUMANIST : As’adiyah International Journal of Humanities and Education, 2(1), 33–42.
Regmi, B. N. (2003). Contribution of agroforestry for livelihood of rural households in the Mid-hills of Nepal. Banko Janakari, 13(1), 47–55.
Regmi, S., & Neupane, S. (2023). Possible sustainable agricultural practices in Nepal: A review. Agriculture Extension in Developing Countries, 1(2), 62–66.
reNature. (2025). Regenerative agroforestry for sustainable farming in Nepal (RASFN): Empowering farmers for a resilient future. https://www.renature.co/projects/regenerative-agroforestry-for-sustainable-farming-in-nepal-rasfn-empowering-farmers-for-a-resilient-future/
Sharma, N., Baral, S., & Paudel, D. (2016). Economic contribution of community forestry to rural livelihoods in two mountain districts of Nepal. International Journal of Social Forestry, 9(1), 73–90.
Somarriba, E., Cerda, R., Orozco, L., Cifuentes, M., Dávila, H., Espin, T., Mavisoy, H., Ávila, G., Alvarado, E., Poveda, V., Astorga, C., Say, E., & Deheuvels, O. (2017). Carbon stocks and cocoa yields in agroforestry systems of Central America. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 173, 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2013.04.013
Subedi, S., Ghimire, Y. N., Adhikari, S. P., Devkota, D., Shrestha, S. M., & Poudel, H. K. (2019). Adoption of certain improved varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in seven different provinces of Nepal. Agriculture & Food Security, 8(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-019-0262-y
Svobodová, E., Černý, T., Kopecká, M., Rybová, K., & Zemek, F. (2024). Sustainable organic farming crops in Nepal in climate change conditions: Predictions and preferences. Land, 13(10), 1610. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13101610
Swiss Contact. (2023). Five steps that help bring climate-smart agriculture to smallholder farmers: Case notes from Nepal. https://www.swisscontact.org/en/news/five-steps-that-help-bring-climate-smart-agriculture-to-smallholder-farmers-case-notes-from-nepal
Timsina, K. P. (2023). Major agricultural policies in Nepal: Policy provisions, gaps and way forwards. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 14, 100698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100698
UNEP & GEF. (2013). Integrating traditional crop genetic diversity into technology: Using a biodiversity portfolio approach to buffer against unpredictable environmental change in Nepal Himalayas. United Nations Environment Programme & Global Environment Facility.
World Bank. (2021). Nepal: Climate-smart agriculture investment plan. World Bank Group. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099405004272216892/pdf/P16883909c7d090c60af0d0c944f3704f3c.pdf
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Suresh Adhikari, Rita Karki (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.










