ForestAction Nepal’s agricultural team recently visited Ichhakamana Rural Municipality, where productive meetings were held with local farmers and farmer groups to explore opportunities for promoting agroecology, specifically focusing on soil restoration and biodiversity conservation. The team discussed the challenges faced by farmers, such as soil degradation and declining fertility, and how agroecological practices like crop rotation, organic farming, and agroforestry could address these issues. Emphasis was placed on restoring soil health through composting, mulching, and the use of bio-fertilizers, while also promoting biodiversity through intercropping and protecting pollinators.
The importance of a community-led approach to implementing these practices was highlighted, with farmer-led demonstration plots, training sessions, workshops, and capacity-building efforts identified as key strategies to strengthen local knowledge.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement to develop a collaborative action plan, that ensures farmers are actively engaged at every stage, from planning and implementation to monitoring and evaluating progress.
Additionally, a meeting was held with the agriculture section of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality, where we provided an update on the discussions with the farmers’ groups, as we will be collaborating with the municipality in this initiative.