I have been running an online campaign on “Plant Heath Awareness” to aware people about plant, food security and environment. Here is the fourth article of the series on organic agriculture in nepal.

Organic agriculture and environment
Organic farming practices result in numerous environmental benefits. Organic farming is an eco-friendly approach to sustainable agriculture. It contributes positively to the problems associated with climate change and desertification and can help to maintain and enhance biodiversity. It also builds healthy soil and reduces the use of insecticides and pesticides.The gradual shift towards organic farming has been mainly because we as consumers have become increasingly concerned about the health impacts of accidentally consuming pesticides and chemical fertilizers

Organic Agriculture in Nepal
Organic agriculture appeared as one of the priority sectors in mind of Nepalese policy makers since the 10th Five year plan. The national agriculture policy 2061 clearly stated that the promotion of organic agriculture is only for export. Organic farming is limited in the only export oriented commodities such as apiculture, coffee, tea, large cardamom, ginger etc and in a certain group of farmers. In Nepal, around 10,000 ha area is certified for organic agriculture and produced about 20 % of the total food as organic product.

SWOT Analysis of Organic Agriculture in Nepal
Strength:
Organic production is feasible virtually throughout the country, without major adjustments to traditional production methods.
Direct market linkage with India could be other strength
Commercial production under such private initiation could be not very difficult as these initiators have awareness and knowledge of organic farming.
Market development, gradually increasing consumers’ awareness about health and quality along with preference towards quality food products could provide better return to the producers.

 Weakness:
There exist some weaknesses limiting farmers’ ability.
Farmers’ ability to invest is far below and there is virtually no support from the government in this arena.
There is also dearth of technology in organic sector
Many producers start producing organically on a ‘trial and error’ basis, and adjust their farming methods every season until they reach an acceptable and stable level of output.
The number is still limited to justify commercial production with certification.
Furthermore, organic certification is too costly for small farmers to pay for it.

Opportunities
There exists good opportunity for organic farming in the urban and peri-urban areas.
Some specialized markets have started selling organic products and some are willing to start selling organic products.
There is immense scope for the organic products to be delivered to India and other countries
Growing awareness among the educated circle and increasing purchasing power
Ecotourism is increasingly becoming popular and organic farms could turn into favorite spots.

Threats
One obvious threat factor is competition from other countries with similar advantages especially India. As Indian government provides subsidy to the farmers and they could produce same quality product in less cost and it is likely that such products could intrude Nepalese market.
Nepalese political situation is also one of the major threats in putting debar to the organic movement.
Relentless government, lack of policies, weak governance system etc are exacerbating problem.

References:
Regmi and Naharki. (2020). A SWOT ANALYSIS OF AGRIBUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NEPAL. Food & Agribusiness Management (FABM), 1(2): 60-65
Singh M., Maharjan K.L. (2017) Status and Scope of Organic Farming in Nepal. In: Sustainability of Organic Farming in Nepal. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5619-2_2