Stakeholders set up HAI to strengthen farmers' resilience

 Kathmandu, Sept. 11

A multi-stakeholder consortium has been set up to strengthen the resilience of farmers in India, Bhutan and Nepal against the climate crisis.

The new mechanism is called the Himalayan Agroecology Initiative (HAI) and, according to the founders, it's a landmark effort to scale up sustainable agriculture in the Himalayan region.

This multi-stakeholder initiative, backed by the global think tank World Future Council and IFOAM – Organics International, a global network of organic farmers, processors, retailers, academics and researchers, will enhance biodiversity, support sustainable agricultural practices and foster durable value chains, they informed in a statement on Wednesday.

The HAI partners pledged to develop comprehensive country roadmaps for the three countries through a series of consultations, culminating in a national consultation in the respective capitals later this year. The final roadmaps will be rolled out at an international conference in 2025.

"The initiative focuses on collaborative planning and stakeholder engagement, underscores its potential to significantly impact the region's agricultural landscape. The HAI aims to create a flagship for the expansion of sustainable food systems," read the statement.

The HAI was officially announced four months ago in May 2024. The Alliance of Bioversity International - CIAT, UNDP India, Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD) in Nepal, and the Tarayana Foundation in Bhutan are its consortium partners. These organisations have extensive expertise in agricultural research, sustainable development, and community empowerment.

This expertise will ensure that the initiative is rooted in both global best practices and local knowledge, informed the statement.

"To safeguard life on Earth, we urgently need to steer our food systems away from unhealthy and unsustainable practices. The HAI builds the foundation for a more integrated, participatory and holistic approach for coordinated action across government and clear policy interventions to co-create food systems that strike a balance between human nutrition enhancement, rural development, and environment conservation," said Alexandra Wandel, Executive Director of the World Future Council (WFC).

The WFC, IFOAM – Organics International, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have supported the creation of the HAI.

According to Ulaç Demirag, IFAD Representative and Country Director, India, the HAI is not just a regional effort; it is a blueprint for sustainable agriculture that has the potential to influence global practices.

According to Ravi R. Prasad, Executive Director of IFOAM – Organics International, the initiative is about establishing food systems that are resilient to climate change and beneficial to smallholders’ livelihoods.

The LI-BIRD of Nepal is renowned for its participatory research methodologies and focus on climate adaptation through community resilience building, agrobiodiversity conservation, and sustainable natural resource management.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 12 September 2024.