Policy gaps in agrobiodiversity conservation: Nepal’s challenges and opportunities

Introduction

Agrobiodiversity conservation is essential to ensure that the rich diversity of crops continues to provide ecological resilience, livelihood security, and economic opportunities. An enabling policy environment plays a crucial role in the sustainable management, value addition, and utilization of agrobiodiversity resources. This paper synthesizes findings from literature and stakeholder interactions to highlight Nepal’s policy gaps, challenges, and opportunities in agrobiodiversity conservation and use.

Policy status in agrobiodiversity conservation and utilization in Nepal

Despite Nepal's recognition of biodiversity in its national strategies, specific policies on agrobiodiversity remain fragmented and underdeveloped. The major policy gaps are as follows:

Policy Type	Policy Status
Agrobiodiversity policy/Act	• No separate agrobiodiversity acts/conservation policies. • No policy or act to conserve valuable plant traits and threatened genes. • Lack of policy on effective sui generis and farmers’ rights to recognize and reward farming communities for their knowledge and innovation.
Credit policy	• Credit policy only for commercial production and economically profitable crops. • There are no policies and programmes to finance credits for agrobiodiversity conservation purposes.
Subsidy policy	• Input and credit subsidies are mainly directed to modern varieties and input-intensive systems, which are not beneficial for resource-poor farmers. • Food subsidies in remote areas have discouraged production of local crops. • No subsidy policy for the promotion of minor crops and landraces.
Research policy	• Only a general policy for crop improvement. • Only conventional plant breeding methods are common. • Limited research on minor crops and landraces.
Education policy	• No policies to incorporate curricula, textbooks, and teaching programmes in agrobiodiversity aspects in the university and extension programmes, both in in-service training and undergraduate and graduate courses.
Agriculture extension policy	• Technology dissemination focused on major crops and modern varieties. • No extension advice and inputs for the promotion of landraces.
Marketing policy	• Lack of policies on value addition and marketing support (e.g. linking market networks and market facilities for local crops and landraces).
Germplasm exchange/Trade policy	• No policies for the trade and transit (export and import) of seeds and plant materials.
Regulatory frameworks	• Present variety release seed regulatory framework requires strict uniformity, quality standards and distinctness. • No legislation and support systems (certification and quality • control) for seed multiplication of landrace and minor crop.

Source: Gauchan et al., 2000a

Influence of policies on agrobiodiversity conservation

Agricultural policies, including credit, input supply, market, and education strategies, directly affect on-farm conservation. For example:

Seed regulatory frameworks favor modern cultivars under DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability) criteria, excluding local varieties.
Credit and subsidies remain biased toward modern high-yielding varieties.
Policymakers often lack awareness of the broader role of agrobiodiversity in food security and climate resilience.

Relevant international policies and commitments

Nepal is a signatory to several international agreements that guide agrobiodiversity conservation:

International Policies	Specific Features
Convention of Biological Diversity (1992): Nepal signed in 1992 and ratified in 1993.	• Sovereign rights of nations • Conservation and utilisation • Access and equitable sharing of benefits
WTO (1995): Nepal got full membership in April 2004.	• Plant Variety Protection • Agreement on Agriculture • Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures
International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (2001): Nepal acceded in October 2009.	• Conservation, sustainable use, benefit sharing • Multilateral Systems of Access • Farmers' Rights
Global Plan of Action (1997): Nepal was a party to the Global Technical Conference.	• Conservation through use • Technical support for the countries
UPOV (1991): Nepal is not a member.	• Plant Breeder's Rights and Patents
Nagoya Protocol (2010): Nepal has yet to ratify.	• Provides a framework for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization
Biosafety Protocol (2000): Nepal has yet to ratify.	• Regulations for the safety of GM technologies, genetic materials, and foods

Adapted from Gauchan et al 2005a.

Relevant national policies and legislation

Nepal’s policy framework includes:

Relevant National Policies

Specific Features

Constitution of Nepal

Biodiversity conservation by minimizing the negative impacts of industrialization and physical development

Biodiversity Policies: Agrobiodiversity Policy (2007) revised 2014; National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2014-2020)

Focus on holistic agrobiodiversity: in-situ and ex-situ conservation approach with protection, ownership, and conservation of crop and animal GRs.

Agrobiodiversity is one of the five components of biodiversity indicated in NBSAP.

Agrobiodiversity/Biodiversity Legislation: Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing Draft Bill (2016); Plant Variety Protection and Farmers Rights Bill; Agrobiodiversity Draft Bill (2015)

Focus on Access and benefit sharing arising from the use of Genetic Resources, property rights on genetic resources (farmers’ rights and plant breeders’ rights), checking biopiracy, and facilitating the exchange of agricultural genetic resources under the Multilateral System as per ITPGRFA provisions.

Agri-development Policy: Agricultural Development Strategy (2015); National Agricultural Policy (2004); Agribusiness Policy (2006)

Sustainability is the focus, with some indication of agrobiodiversity-related activities. But major focus on increased productivity, commercialization and livelihood, focusing on major food and cash crops and MV,s with limited focus on conservation

Seed Sector Policy and Legislation: National Seed Vision (2013); Seed Policy (1999); Seed Act (1988), revised 2008; Seed Regulation.

(2013)

The National Seed Vision spells out the conservation and use of farmers’ varieties, while the Seed Policy and Seed Act are silent. The Seed Act and Regulation mention the provision of rights to plant breeders but not that of farmers’ rights.

National Strategic Framework on Nature Conservation for Sustainable Development (2015-2030)

An umbrella strategy for conservation of nature covers biodiversity, forest, water, air, land, and cultural heritage. It recognizes agrobiodiversity/biodiversity as an important component of nature conservation.

National Intellectual Property Policy (2017)

Provision of property rights on new creations, including plant varieties, traditional knowledge, and products of geographic origins

National Farmer’s Commission (2017)

The main objective is to ensure and protect farmers' rights in agriculture, food, land, social security, and agrobiodiversity.

Other Relevant Policies: Climate Change Policy (2011)

Local crops and varieties, and the use of diversity, are useful for climate change adaptation, ecosystem services, and nature conservation for sustainable development

While these policies exist, their implementation is fragmented, and their impact on agrobiodiversity conservation is limited.

Gaps, challenges, and issues

Lack of a comprehensive Agrobiodiversity Act that integrates conservation, access, and benefit sharing.
Policiesare biased toward modern varieties and high-input farming systems.
Weak coordination among research, extension, and policy institutions.
Limited incentives (credit, subsidy, price support, rewards) for conserving landraces and minor crops.
Poor integration of agrobiodiversity into education, extension, and awareness programs.
Insufficient farmer recognition and participation in decision-making.

Suggested future actions

Formulation of an Agrobiodiversity Act – Covering conservation, exchange, access, trade, and equitable benefit sharing.
Stakeholder Engagement – Farmers, researchers, policymakers, and private actors should jointly draft conservation frameworks.
Revise Seed and Extension Policies – To include landraces and diverse genetic resources.
Research and Documentation – Expand focus on minor crops, landraces, and indigenous knowledge.
Awareness and Education – Mainstream agrobiodiversity into curricula and public campaigns.
Market and Value Addition Support – Develop market networks, processing facilities, and incentives for local crop products.

Conclusion and way forward

Nepal has made progress in biodiversity conservation through international commitments (CBD, ITPGRFA) and national initiatives (National Genebank, biodiversity strategies).

However, agrobiodiversity conservation remains marginalized compared to forest and wildlife biodiversity.

Mainstreaming agrobiodiversity into national development programs is essential. Targeted policies on technology, price, market, and institutions can provide incentives for farmers to conserve and utilize local genetic resources. By addressing policy gaps, Nepal can conserve its agrobiodiversity and leverage it for climate adaptation, food security, and rural livelihoods.

References

Gauchan, D., Maxted, N., Cole, M., Smale, M., Upadhyay, M. P., Baniya, B. K., ... & Sthapit, B. R. (2005a). Policy incentives for conservation and the sustainable use of crop genetic resources in Nepal. On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity in Nepal, 2, 135-148.
Gauchan, D., Subedi, A., & Shrestha, P. (2000a). 25. Identifying and analyzing policy issues in plant genetic resources management: experiences using participatory approaches in Nepal. Bhuwon Sthapit, editors. 2000. Participatory approaches to the con-servation and use of plant genetic resources. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy, 142(00145), 188.