Response for Q1: UNICEF as organisation has no mandate to document impact of farming system on environment, however, as lead agency for Multi Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) in Nepal, it influences policy decisions based on understanding over the global development in this areas in order to link agriculture intervention, environment and its impact in nutritional outcomes.
Response to Q 2: Not yet
Response to Q3: Multi Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) with component of agriculture is developed base on the available research/ study at global and national level. However, sustainable agriculture system for nutrition is new area for country context in Nepal. Thanks to Agriculture and Health pathway to Nutrition (AHN) academy held in this year in Nepal, this new issue entered into Nepal for further discussion.
Response to Q4: Mountainous country like Nepal is facing big challenge due to climate change. Frequent landslide and flood is increasing day by day, mainly due to deforestation and climate change. Cropping pattern are the most affected one due to agriculture production is not at the same level as it was last two decades ago. Lands are fragmented due to property transfer system among the family members from one generation to another. With the urbanisation, cultivable land is squeezing rapidly. Due to the condition mentioned above, small farmers are running away from the farming system and mostly migrated abroad for the cheap labor work. There is ample opportunity to do sustainable farming in the field of herbal medicine in Nepal, which can be cash crop for the poor families. However, investment in this area and capacity building effort is less in this area.
M. Naveen Paudyal