Background

The Innovative Farmer Award is an award initiated and established by LI-BIRD with financial support from Dr. S.B. Mathema, one of the advisory members of LI-BIRD. The award is for an innovative farmer/person who has been continuously engaged in research and development of new innovations with his/her  initiative and resource management, has developed new innovations in agriculture, agrobiodiversity and natural resources management for wider applications, and/or has made concerted efforts in helping others in making productive use of these innovations. The person may also have contributed to add value to an existing innovation by playing a critical and catalytical role for wider dissemination and uptake of such innovations.  

Objective of the Award

The main objective of the award is to promote local knowledge, initiatives and innovations. Specifically, it aims:

• to recognize, encourage and promote innovative people at grassroots level, and
• to highlight local innovation and protect traditional knowledge.

Norms

• Farmer with demonstration of exceptional and distinctive performance in the field of agriculture, biodiversity and natural resources management sector at LI-BIRD's command areas is enable to applying for this award.
• The award will be distributed to the selected farmer, once in a year during LI-BIRD's day. The award is worth Nepali Rupees 5,000 (Five Thousand Rupees) and a Certificate of Honor.
• The nominee should have worked directly with LI-BIRD (within LI-BIRD project areas); time of affiliation with LI-BIRD should be at least 2 years; farming must be the major source of livelihood (should be a farmer); and should be nominated by community/farmer group/cooperatives.
• The award management team consists of Executive Director, Executive Board Chairperson, Administrative Officer , representative from Farmers group, Director of Regional Directorate of Agriculture.
• All the norms can be revised and changed when needed based on  consultation among  Selection Committee members.
• The award is finalized based on recommendations  by the selection committee comprising of Executive Director, Senior Programme Officers, and Training Information and Publication Officer of LI-BIRD.

Procedure

• Award information along with the application forms and guidelines will be distributed to the field and made available for  group and individual farmers.
• LI-BIRD field staff will assist group and individual farmers in the application process.
• The forms filled up by individual candidates should be recommended by concerned CBOs/farmers group/cooperatives and endorsed/recommended by LI-BIRD staff.
• Applicants will be screened and the Selection Committee will decide the award recipient. The Evaluation Team will use  judging criteria to evaluate the applications.
• The selected farmer will be timely informed and invited to recieve the award on in LI-BIRD Day.

  View list of Award Winners