Agriculture and Environment

In Nepal, traditional agricultural practices remain the most widely adopted occupation, with more than half of the population engaged in agriculture. However, these practices are subsistent in nature and only sufficient to feed households, not the entire nation. To overcome this scenario, there is a need to incorporate technological advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) to promote informed decision-making regarding plantation, productivity, and yield. At the same time, there is a need to act as a link between infrastructures and farmers.

Smallholder farmers in Nepal face several challenges, including the need to employ many farmhands in small land plots, which makes labor-intensive farming practices expensive. Additionally, small-scale production is not quite feasible as the produce cannot compete in commercial domestic markets, limiting farmers to subsistence farming.

At CESAR, we aim to seek data-driven approaches to sustain the agricultural growth of such farmers and respond to their challenges simultaneously. Our research findings and capacity-building efforts will bridge the digital divide, providing small-scale farmers with the technical assistance they need to enhance sustainable agriculture.