system and bee keeping were promoted. Fodder and forage plantations around homesteads
was prioritized.
Improvements in income status and livelihoods
Although there is no concrete data to support, the income status and livelihoods of Chepang
had increased due to intervention. There is a lot of evidence to indicate the initial impact of
the technology. Due to the introduction of diversified cash crops and legumes, farmers had
expressed that their income had increased. The choice of crops had increased, thus making
them busier on farm work and often selling some of the products to nearby markets.
Future scope of home gardens in the area
Home gardens are one of the most important sources of food, fodder, fuel, medicines,
spices, construction materials and income. Though home gardens are integral part of the
Nepalese farming systems, and play an important role in the livelihood of the community,
they have not been really utilized in the study area. Farmers seem to have concentrated
more on sloping land rather than their homestead.
Chepang communities are dependent on wild and uncultivated foods for their livelihood.
There are some potential wild crops which can be domesticated. Domestication could be
one of the solutions for food shortage in the area. Home gardens have a lot of scope and
potential since they can be a valuable reserve for a wide diversity of plant species through
their intensive and multiple uses for food, fiber, timber, fuel, fodder, medicine, ornamentals,
cultural and aesthetic values and other household requirements. They also provide a means
to link conservation with food security and diversity within farming systems. Home gardens
could be also a source of biodiversity, income and food and nutritional security for the poor
in future.
Marginal farmers in Nepal are facing socio-economic and ecological problems. Most of the
slash and burn areas are under social and ecological threats. Farmers are having a hard
time to survive and often seek other ways to supplement their requirements. Since most the
shifting cultivators are now permanent settlers or cultivators, it is very difficult for farmers to
maintain a longer fallow period. Intensification on the other hand has a negative impact on
soil and biodiversity. Since home gardens are at an immature stage and have not been
properly used, intervention on promoting home gardens could be the best option for
decreasing pressure on slash and burn systems and provide option for improving nutrition of
households. Nevertheless, it could also be a source of income for rural households.
Future research and development needs
- Research on domestication potential of wild relatives. Particularly the inventory of species,
documentation of indigenous knowledge on use and processing and nutritional analysis of
the domesticated wild foods like Githa, Byakur, etc should be carried out. - Improvement on quality of wild crops. Some studies show that some of the wild crops have
toxic chemicals and there is scope for cross breeding or improving the quality of wild crops
so that it can be used as food crops. - Promoting home gardens in the marginal areas. Shifting cultivation system has been
reduced nowadays and farmers are practicing slash and burn agriculture. In this context,
most of the farmers are now changed to permanent settlers. The pressure on shifting
cultivation land can be minimized if home gardens are promoted. Home gardens can be a
regular source of family food and it can improve family health as well. The good practices
generated from the on-going projects must be scaled up or promoted in marginal areas.