Context

Nepal contributes only 0.1% to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the country is among the 10 countries most affected by climate change. Nepal’s mountainous landscape, low socio-economic wealth and high reliance on livelihoods based on natural resources all contribute to the country’s high climate change vulnerability. The majority of Nepal’s population depends on small scale farming to earn a living, and most farmers have less than 2 hectares of land to cultivate. The prevalence of highly fertile soil is countered by climate change’s acceleration of extreme climatic conditions, which disproportionately affect women, poor and rural households. Many farmers lack the technical knowledge about climate-smart agriculture, financial literacy or production inputs and resources.

To increase the agricultural society’s resilience to climatic shocks and stresses, CARE’s project will work with poor, rural small-scale farmers, predominantly women, some of whom are landless, to strengthen their knowledge of climate-smart practices and to engage them and local civil society actors in advocacy for climate just local policy development, planning and budgeting. The project will contribute to the creation of 48 Climate Smart Villages which provide resources for climate adaptation to 500 farmer groups as well as the communities at large. The project intervention is based on CARE’s Farmers Field and Business Schools (FFBS) approach, which provides practical, hands-on, participatory learning for farmers, on different topics of the agricultural production cycle.

Main Activities 

• Introduction of climate-smart agriculture, such as water smart irrigation, introduction of climate resilient crop varieties, carbon smart cropping practices.
• Strengthen the voice and leadership of women, youth and marginalized farmers in the development of local climate just policies, plans and budgets.
• Train farmers, using CARE’s Farmers Field and Business Schools (FFBS) approach.
• Link marginalized farmers with civil society networks, to elevate their voice in their advocacy for climate just local adaptation plans.
• The farmers’ representation in Nepal, NFGF will work directly with local government representatives to build their capacities on climate change, gender responsive and inclusive policy development, plans, and budgets.

Participants 

• 12,500 small scale and landless women, youth, and marginalized farmers.
• 50,000 family members of the farmers will additionally benefit from the project.