Mr Prakash Mathem, Secretary at Minsitry of Morest and soil Conservation. Photo credit ©FAO/Vidhu Kayastha

Kathmandu-A national policy dialogue on Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in Underutilised/abandoned Agricultural Land through Agroforestry was recently held in Kathmandu on 16 August 2017. The dialogue was jointly organised by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservations and FAO Nepal.

In the dialogue more than 45 participants from government ministries, national and international non- government organisations, civil society groups and local communities put forward their views on increasing trend of land abandonment in Nepal and proposed possible ways to overcome such problem.

In the context of out migration of rural youth and shortage of farming labour in rural Nepal, there is around 40 percent of arable land remaining abandoned. Most of the participants and experts suggested an urgent need to find out less labour intensive agro forestry options which could support in enhancing production and productivity of abandoned agricultural land.  

In the opening remarks, Mr Prakash Mathema, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservations, highlighted an immediate need of having policies and regulation in favour of agro forestry promotion and securing tenure rights of tenants who really cultivate the land.  

Dr Binod Saha of FAO Nepal also reiterated the need of coordination and collaboration of all stakeholders in addressing the challenges of land abandonment and overcome our common problem of food insecurity and poverty.

In the workshop, FAO  consultants Dr Ganga Ram Dahal and Dr Bishnu Pandit presented the outcome of a national assessment of abandoned agricultural land in Nepal and alerted a potential threat for Nepal in near future if the current trend of land abandonment is not diverted.