Strengthening women-led cooperatives and entrepreneurs to tackle climatic risks, ACASA and Heifer International, Nepal, collaborate to develop resilient forage systems for sustainable livestock ecosystems.
Bhola Shrestha, Heifer International, Nepal, and Sunita Sanjyal, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Nepal
Livestock forms a crucial pillar of Nepal’s agricultural ecosystem, contributing 24% to the agriculture GDP. However, Nepal’s diverse and fragile geographical ecology places it at significant risk from climate change. Rising temperature and erratic precipitation patterns threaten livestock productivity, with notable impacts such as declining forage production, pastoral degradation, and the proliferation of invasive species. These changes severely challenge rural livelihoods, especially for women farmers who form the backbone of Nepal’s livestock sector.
Women in Nepal play a pivotal role in livestock management, from feeding and breeding to disease prevention and product marketing. However, climatic stressors—ranging from feed shortages to the rise of vector-borne diseases—directly affect their responsibilities and incomes. Women-led cooperatives, such as the Social Entrepreneurs Women Cooperative (SEWC), bear the brunt of these challenges. Beyond the immediate impacts on animal health and production, climate-induced risks exacerbate social vulnerabilities, making adaptation strategies all the more critical for ensuring sustainable livelihoods.
Heifer International, Nepal, guided by its Values-Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) framework, has been instrumental in empowering women farmers. Through targeted programs, Heifer is committed to helping rural women of Nepal to enhance income to meet the living income benchmark. . A critical focus is building resilience, and one such effort involves working with SEWC to develop drought-resistant forage for a sustainable livestock ecosystem.
In collaboration with the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) under the ACASA project, Heifer is planning to take significant steps to sensitize women farmers to climate risks and equip them with adaptation strategies. This partnership will integrate ACASA’s digital tools and resources with Heifer’s programs to map climate hazards and adaptation options. Women farmers will benefit from enhanced training on climatic risks, hazards, and access to innovative adaptation technologies, enabling them to better prepare for climatic uncertainties in livestock production.
A major highlight of this planned partnership is piloting adaptation technologies in a model dairy village identified as a high-risk climate zone. With women farmers leading these efforts, this initiative promises to strengthen community preparedness and improve the sustainability of livestock systems. Maps from the ACASA portal and Heifer’s geographic data will help identify spatial hazards and link adaptation measures through platforms like Geo-Krishi, ensuring targeted interventions.
Heifer also envisions long-term collaboration with ACASA to improve livestock productivity and secure year-round forage supply. By working with regional and global institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and Bioversity International-CIAT, Heifer plans to localize climate-resilient forage varieties for Nepal. Women farmers will play a central role in testing and adopting these solutions, supported by the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and feed-expert companies.
This proposed partnership between ACASA and Heifer International underscores the importance of placing women at the heart of climate-resilient agricultural strategies. By empowering women with tools, knowledge, and technologies, this collaboration not only enhances livestock productivity but also secures livelihoods against the uncertainties of climate change. Together, we move closer to a sustainable and equitable future for Nepal’s agricultural communities.