Organic farming as a safe and healthy food production system is being more and more popular day by day globally. Increasing environmental awareness among general public has transformed the originally supplied driven organic movement to a demand driven one. The organic agriculture is a very common word in Nepali agriculture sector. Over a century, traditionally farmers in hills and mountains are following the farming practice, which is similar to organic farming. However, many of them have no idea that their traditional practice is called organic agriculture. Because of the lengthy certification process the products produced through organic means do not get recognition as organic products. The traditional farming knowledge and skill give the positive point for promoting the organic agriculture in Nepal.  

In Nepal INSAN started an organized effort to promote organic farming in Nepal followed by Judith Chase who started organic farming in Bhaktapur in 1987. Nepal Permaculture Group a national network working in the field of sustainable agriculture has been an instrumental in promoting organic agriculture in Nepal through advocacy, lobbing, training, organizing workshops and seminars helping farmers and policy markets, etc. It has been reported that the total land under organic management in Nepal is estimated to be 9789 ha. which is 0.23% of total agricultural land. There are 1470 organic producers in the country, 16 co-operatives and some individuals farmers are involved in organic production and 25 private companies merchandizing them in national as well as international market. It is estimated that the organic transaction is of at least $7 million per annum including both local and export market. At local level there are 5 organic outlets, 4 weekly farmers market, 9 supermarkets and about 35 hotels and restaurants selling organic menu partially in Kathmandu and the number of outlets are increasing. The major products of trading are orthodox and leaf tea and coffee, honey, high land beans, buckwheat, root and leafy vegetables, bread and pastas, essential oils and herbs, soap and raw materials for cosmetics and detergents, wild fruit syrups, fiber for textiles and furnishing, etc.

There are various local organic practices some practiced from the ages and some innovating new practices by farmers themselves. Various interactions and discussions shows that many farmers engaged in organic agriculture are not confident because some pests and diseases are very hard to control without chemical pesticides. Due to lack of standard guidelines from the government, there are not proper definitions and methods to make the farming practices organic. Local farmers knowingly or unknowingly practicing organic agriculture and have invented various organic techniques but we have not acknowledged them for their contribution.  Nepalese organic products reach the standard for the Nepalese market but competing with the international market is too hard. Because of the complicated certification process, marketing of organic product within our own country is more effective than competing with the international market. Due to the lack of accredited laboratory facility, several cases of return of the certified organic products (honey) had been seen in the recent past.

So the government needs to formulate the proper policy and programs along with proper guidelines regarding the organic farming with the full emphasizing in the production of the organic products and should arrange the proper laboratory for the easy certification of the organic goods so that the farmers will be confident their sell their goods as the organic products at higher prices. And also should bring the demonstration type program to make people believe and increase in their confident that organic production could be better than chemicals one which will made them more attracted to the organic farming.