Promotion Of Ecological Agriculture Through Community Empowerment (PEACE) Program

Introduction

Machhapurchhre Development Organization (MDO) has been working with USC-Canada-Asia for the promotion of ecological farming program. It is a community led program through organizing them in a local institution for Promotion of Ecological Agriculture through Community Empowerment (PEACE) program. The community institution will mobilize beneficiaries and their groups and engage them in planning, implementation and monitoring. Program staffs will play a facilitating role to enhance their capacity and opportunities through imparting skills and knowledge on various technical and managerial matters.

In the community larger number of farming families staying in the village even though many young are going in cities and aboard for education and work, high number of dalit families; households of Kami (blacksmith) with surname Bishwokarma, Majority of families engaged in farming for their livelihoods and are interested to market-oriented farming for enhanced family income, some youths returning back from overseas labor jobs have started agricultural enterprises, gradual loss of biodiversity due to introduction of new varieties, linked with Pokhara market by rural gravel road and about one to one and half an hour’s drive from Pokhara and good potential for market development, families migrated to Pokhara willing to support agricultural activities by buying products from their village.

Relatively low development interventions particularly in agricultural so it has the high potentiality to promote products in the urban market of Pokhara. Initiation and promotion of agro ecotourism is one of the desired intervention areas to be linked with in promoting ecological agriculture thorough conserving and utilizing biodiversity as well as sustaining food culture and traditions.

Project Area:

Bhadaur Tamagi VDCs 1 and 2 ( 243 households in these two wards, Beneficiaries Numbers: Males 578 and Females 596 respectively.

 The major activities that planned and accomplished

• Analysis of women participation in existing community groups and their roles and decision making on ecological farming and agro tourism activities
• Organize group mobilization training to community groups
• Organize the orientation training to raise awareness and sensitize participating communities on ecological farming practice
• Organize diversity fair in the community
• Identification and distribution of vegetable seed kits to the community groups.