Pollinator’s decline is becoming worldwide problem and is threatening the human food supplies and ecosystem function but smallholders farmers are often unware of this global threat. Indeed, there is strong political will from the provincial and national-level government to promote biodiversity friendly farming practices to conserve pollinator’s diversity. However, various barriers including a lack of farmer awareness, a lack of capacity and no evidence on pollinator services, prevent political will from translating into solid and functional action plans and policies outputs for farmers on the ground.

The project “Embedding Sustainable Pollination Management into Nepalese Agriculture System” has been implemented in Jumla district with the financial support from Darwin Initiatives and collaboration with HERD International. This project will assess pollinator declines and pollinator dependent crops in Jumla, raise awareness on pollination, increase the capacity of individuals and institutions to manage pollination services and facilitate the design of policies, strategy and action plan to conserve and enhance pollinator biodiversity in karnali province. Our project will assist in devising an evidence-based strategy to support pollinators and increase the capacity of the provincial Ministry and other local institutions to conduct research and training in pollination service management.

The project is expecting 3000 farmers including women, backwards and minorities sensitized about the pollination and pollination management through the farmers field school and demonstration farms in Jumla and capacity building in pollinator taxonomy, research and management to 175 Agriculture officer, researchers and extension workers from karnali province.

This project also aimed to produce pollination management handbook and training package and distributed for use in training programs across Nepal and to establish an online Digital Crop Pollination Library for Nepal which details each crop’s pollinator dependence, its nutritional and economic value, key pollinators and guidance for enhancing its pollination. This long-term resource will be hosted on the website of our project partners, Agriculture and Forestry University and provide the definitive source of data on pollinators in Nepal and the wider Himalayan region.