By Rajendra Prasad Devkota

Organic Agriculture in Nepal

Organic farming is a relatively new practice, but it enjoys familiarity in the Nepali agriculture sector.

 The ever-increasing demand for food, fodder, fuel and fiber as consequences of the rapidly increasing population of the world is one of the most important global issues today. Most vulnerable among the rural poor in Nepal are those with small landholdings and landless farm workers living in ecologically fragile areas, such as high hills, mountains and low lands. Most of these areas lack basic transport, communication and social infrastructure. Households in such areas have limited assets and livelihood opportunities. They tend to have low levels of education, large families and strong traditional and cultural values.

Nepali farmers depend on predominantly traditional and subsistence agriculture where cereals dominate the cropping pattern and cultivation practices depend on monsoon rain. The use of improved seed and compost/farm yard manure is still very low while the use of chemical fertilizers is high but lower than neighbouring countries. Mechanization in agriculture is at a very low level and only 21 per cent of the total area is under cultivation. Almost 64 per cent of agricultural households that have land own a plough that is used to cultivate the land using bullocks. The existing number of livestock is one of the highest per capita and per unit area of cultivated land in Asia. However, livestock productivity is very low due to poor grazing land, crop bio by-products, forest biomass, secondary plant resides and shortage of feed.

Natural resources such as soil, water and forests are considered as sources of livelihood in Nepal. Declining fertile land due to town planning, mass deforestation, soil erosion and problem of food security etc boosts migration to the cities. Increased requirement of agricultural land due to continuous population growth has led to increase in land use intensity and cultivation of marginal land, very often on steep slopes and soils of low fertility.

Intensive synthetic chemical based farming started since the 1980s and chemical fertilizers were imported to the field with the increasing interest of the commercial farmers and pro-production government policy. Similarly, the use of chemical pesticides was accelerated during 1983 with the introduction of Metacid. In the beginning, bags of chemical fertilizers were distributed free to the farmers. However, many farmers had buried the bags in their fields to avoid the use of forcefully distributed fertilizers. With time, farmers were motivated to use fertilizers and other related agro-chemicals in their fields after observing good yield of the crops. This practice eventually gave birth to chemical farming and set a new era in production.

Organic farming is a relatively new practice but enjoys familiarity in the Nepali agriculture sector. Institutionally, the history of organic agriculture in Nepal can be said to have begun with the establishment of the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture Nepal (INSAN) in 1986. This organization was involved in promoting permaculture, a system similar to organic production. Another milestone in organic agriculture in Nepal was the establishment of Appropriate Agricultural Alternatives (AAA) farm in the Kathmandu Valley in 1987 by an American national, Judith Chase. Chase came to Nepal in 1976 and she along with her husband Jim moved to the farm to escape city life. After she started producing organic vegetables, Chase soon realized that she could sell all of her produce to the expatriate community at a premium prices compared to the non-organic fruits and vegetables. For a short while, this remained an isolated effort with no sign of proliferation. However, a niche market for organic products soon witnessed a new wave of development for organic production in the surrounding areas. After 2000, the number of cooperatives and private initiatives for organic farming increased substantially. The Government of Nepal was reluctant to accept the concept of organic agriculture in the beginning. But, after observing the negative impact of agrochemicals on farming, the government decided to take initiatives for the promotion of organic farming. The 10th Plan (NPC, 2002) and Agricultural Policy (MOAC, 2004), for the first time, had spelt out policy statements regarding the promotion of organic agriculture in the country.

Certification of organic products was initiated in 1996 in Nepal. However, the national norms and standards required for production, inspection and certification of organic products have not yet been materialized at the government level. Some internationally recognized certifying agencies and locally authorized organic inspectors have made their presence felt in Nepal to work on organic product certification. At present, Onecert–Asia, Lacon Quality, NASAA-Australia, Eco-cert France, IMO and Indocert provide organic certificates as per NOP, EEC, NPOP and JAS-based standards in tea, coffee, medicinal and aromatic plants, fertilizers and natural crude herbs etc for the export market.

Recently, the government sanctioned a National Technical Standards for Organic Agriculture System 2064 BS which is expected to bring about changes in the production and marketing of organic products. In comparison, other recognized standards have made unseen mistakes in Nepali organic standards due to the lack of knowledge of proper rules and regulations and systems such as Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), Geographical Indication of the Product (GIP) and Internal Control System (ICS) etc. Similarly, organic farmers depend on large quantities of farmyard manure and compost but organic inputs such as bio-fertilizers, manure and organic pesticides are not easily available. The lack of appropriate and adaptive technologies such as consistency, incentives for farmers to turn to organic methods, efficient agronomic alternatives for managing soil, nutrient and pest are some of the input related problems faced by the organic growers.

The marketing of organic vegetables, fruits and other products is a daunting task for the organic growers. Although some supermarkets have started selling organic vegetables, there is a lack of pricing mechanism. Prices are generally fixed by the traders/collectors who procure vegetables from the growers and supply them to the available niche markets. A majority of farmers is interested in adopting organic farming practices if the government is willing to provide subsidies in farming, processing and certification. Similarly, the number of farmers willing to adopt organic farming has increased in rural as well as urban settings.

Consumers have a belief that organic food is healthier, less polluted and more natural than their conventional counterparts. Many consumers are of the view that the quality of organic products is good and that’s why these products are expensive. Most of them are willing to pay 10-15 per cent more for organic products while they are also ready to pay 20-30 per cent more if the organic products are branded. Organic products are usually sold directly by the farmers themselves or at select shops and outlets. Due to the lack of financial support, organic farmers rely solely on the consumers’ willingness to pay higher prices which compensate for lower yields and higher production costs associated with the organic practice. Though a very small scale operation, the organic industry holds much promise and has a long way to go in Nepal.

Devkota is an Agriculturist and Organic Inspector. He can be contacted via email at rajendra_certi@yahoo.com