Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject Agrarian Studies, course: Agricultural Policy, language: English, abstract: Geographical Condition: Nepal, predominantly a mountainous, agrarian and landlocked country, has an area of 147,181 sq.km. with a population of about 22.3 million. It is geographically divided into three geo-ecological zones: Mountain (4,877m - 8,848 m above the mean sea level), Hills (610 m - 4,877m), and Terai (59 m - 610m). The Terai region, a low flat land, is an extension of the Gangetic plains of India. It is a narrow tropical belt occupying 23 percent of the country's total land area providing dwelling to 49.06 percent of the total population. About 40 percent area of the region is cultivable. [...]

Selected papers on research work conducted in the Hindu Kush- Himalayan Region, West Sichuan (China), Himachal Pradesh (India), the North West Frontier Province (Pakistan), and the Middle Hills of Nepal.

Mountain food security and nutrition are core issues that can contribute positively to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals but paradoxically are often ignored in Zero Hunger and poverty reduction-related agenda. Under the overall leadership of José Graziano da Silva, the Former Director-General of FAO, sustainable mountain agriculture development is set as a priority in Asia and the Pacific, to effectively address this issue and assist Member Countries in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition in mountain regions. This comprehensive publication is the first of its kind that focuses on the multidimensional status, challenges, opportunities and solutions of sustainable mountain agriculture development for Zero Hunger in Asia. This publication is building on the ‘International Workshop and Regional Expert Consultation on Mountain Agriculture Development and Food Security and Nutrition Governance’, held by FAO RAP and UIR in November 2018 Beijing, in collaboration with partners from national governments, national agriculture institutes, universities, international organizations and international research institutes. The publication provides analysis with evidence on how mountain agriculture could contribute to satisfying all four dimensions of food security, to transform food systems to be nutrition-sensitive, climate-resilient, economically-viable and locally adaptable. From this food system perspective, the priority should be given to focus on specialty mountain product identification (e.g. Future Smart Food), production, processing, marketing and consumption, which would effectively expose the potential of mountain agriculture to contribute to Zero Hunger and poverty reduction. In addition, eight Asian country case studies not only identify context-specific challenges within biophysical-technical, policy, socio-economic and institutional dimensions.

Mountain agriculture is a socially and culturally unique system, but also a regionally important economic sector. In a globalising world, it is clear that fertile areas on all continents will always be used to produce large quantities of agricultural products in order to feed the world and, increasingly, provide biomass as a source of energy. It is far less clear, however, how land use in steep and more peripheral regions will evolve. By definition, farmland in mountain areas is more difficult to work because of steep slopes and missing accessibility. Climate conditions and poor soil quality often add to these adverse conditions. Through overcoming limited views from one region only or from one discipline, this book intends to draw a first truly international perspective on the issue of mountain farming.

Brief report on the Round Table Meeting on "Mountain Development Policies in Nepal."