Spring water plays a crucial role in sustaining life in the Himalayas. Yet these vital water sources are drying as a result of natural and anthropogenic factors. In July and August 2020, we conducted phone interviews with leaders from 300 local government units across Nepal to identify the status of...

Millets are one of the Future Smart Foods (FSFs), indigenous to Nepal. Millets are rich in micronutrients, more resilient to water and heat stresses and can be cultivated in marginal lands and at different altitudes ranging from plain terai to high hills. They can contribute to the overall sustainability of...

In this video, Käthi and Gerold Gwerder explain how they keep problem weeds under control on the "Wasserberg" alp without herbicides.

Saguna Vansavrdhan Technique (SVT) is a simple, low-cost and effective technique which reduces the risk of wildfires, by converting the flammable dry grass into organic manure, promoting natural production of earthworms and soil aggregation, completely stopping soil erosion, improving water infiltration, thus regenerating greenery and biodiversity on degraded lands. Benefits of...

Los premios de excelencia a la innovación de mujeres rurales han constituido una de las líneas de reconocimiento de la Administración General del Estado al trabajo, proyectos y trayectoria de las mujeres rurales.  Desde 2010, la convocatoria anual de los premios tiene como finalidad distinguir proyectos nuevos, excelentes, originales e innovadores...

Introduction:  This innovation is designed to provide farmers with access to irrigation through small water reservoirs on irrigated farmlands. In Kyrgyzstan, over 90 percent of agricultural production depends on irrigated lands, with District Water Resources Boards playing a central role in supplying water to farmers. However, climate change and global warming are...

Traditional mountain landscapes governed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) conserve unique wildlife and agrobiodiversity, and strongly support climate change adaptation and mitigation by protecting ecosystem services, including grasslands that store almost 50% more carbon than forests. But mountain biodiversity and the Indigenous and traditional peoples that sustain it are...

Welcome to the latest edition of IIED’s forests newsletter.We are excited to announce the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) International Conference, share a story from the FFF's work in Nepal and an Integrated Community Forest Management Monitoring and Evaluation Tool developed by IIED in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance.

Este cuaderno práctico, dirigido tanto a productores orgánicos/ecológicos (agricultores, procesadores) como aquellos que han entrado en transición orgánica/ecológica, vinculados acadenas devalor y que trabajan en agroecosistemas de montaña, tiene el objetivo de brindar una herramienta de apoyo para el registro de información importante para la verificación de la calidad orgánica...

The contribution of overgrazing to high-elevation rangeland degradation is a problem across the Himalayan region, and it leads to tensions among users. In the alpine areas of eastern Bhutan, 2 communities of settled and seminomadic herders have been engaged in enduring open conflict over access to a large natural pasture....

The Low Carbon Dairy Farm consists of conducting an environmental and technico-economic diagnosis on each farm and identifying potential actions to improve its carbon footprint. The objective is to build a progression strategy in collaboration with the farmer, so that the action plan fits the realities of the farm and...

During the last decades, soil organic carbon (SOC) attracted the attention of a much wider array of specialists beyond agriculture and soil science, as it was proven to be one of the most crucial components of the earth’s climate system, which has a great potential to be managed by humans....

During the last decades, soil organic carbon (SOC) attracted the attention of a much wider array of specialists beyond agriculture and soil science, as it was proven to be one of the most crucial components of the earth’s climate system, which has a great potential to be managed by humans....

Transhumant pastoralism, with its cultural, ecological, and socioeconomic significance, is an important livelihood strategy for mountain communities. Despite its importance, transhumant pastoralism is declining in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. This study examines the drivers of change experienced by transhumant herders in Bajhang, western Nepal, to understand future implications for...

Green alder shrubs increasingly overgrow mountain pastures. Especially on steep and remote sites of low productivity, the stocking density decreases. Consequently, green alder expands massively and the pastureland and its biodiversity is getting lost. In this video, Julia and Martin Patzen explain how they regulate green alder shrubs by goats...

This publication presents a collection of case studies by Mountain Partnership (MP) members from around the world, highlighting experiences of agroecological mountain farming systems. It aims to increase attention toward agroecological principles and approaches and showcase their potential. The MP, the only United Nations global voluntary alliance dedicated to sustainable...

Family farming is basically a system to establish a set up for forestry, agricultural, fisheries, countryside and aquaculture production. Through family farming employment generation takes place and unemployment issue prevailing in the society minimizes. The output of the family farm is high productivity and enhancement in farm income. Directly or...

Known for their smaller size and brown colour, Busha cattle have withstood the harsh climate and living conditions in mountainous parts of the Balkan Peninsula for centuries. In Serbia, the Busha breed is not only an important element of animal genetic diversity, but also a source of food and income...

Euromontana has worked on the Smart Villages concept since 2017 as member of the European Network for Rural Development’s Thematic Group on the topic. Through the Horizon 2020 project SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas), Euromontana also contributed to broaden the definition of the concept, by advocating that the Smart Villages approach...

Ma Thi Ninh thought farming would be relatively easy. The Yen Duong area of Viet Nam where she lives has excellent, arable land and offers many sought-after products, including organic sticky rice, seasonal vegetables and bamboo used for traditional handicraft products. But once she started to farm and trade in...