To make a larger impact for a safe and healthy ecosystem plus economic viability, multi functional partnership including government and international communities are cornerstone of LEAD Nepal’s working strategy.
We try our best to work with socially responsible business sectors that respect and understand ecosystem services not only of its broad impact, but also because of its power to spur innovation, influence supply chains, inform consumer choice, and shape public policy.
At the grass root level, Lead Nepal works with the community mobilizers, community based organizations (CBOs), mothers and youth groups, village school forest users group, media house and VDC who were instrumental in creating awareness and inspiring the community in understanding the ecosystem services consequently motivating them to protect, prevent and mitigate the ecosystem and its services. Further, these groups jointly with the university students, professors and business house and LEAD Nepal conducted base line surveys, researches and progress status on different wings of the ecosystem services.
Lead Nepal help build the capacity of 3800 farmers, 10 mothers group, 10 Cooperatives, 9 youth groups, 6 Community schools, 8-forest users groups and selected students from 3 universities. Seventy percent of the target groups are females from diverse ethnic groups and many holding leading positions. By 2020, Lead Nepal plans to directly reach 36000 farmer HH’s covering an area of 9000-hector farmland between the elevations of 300 to 3700 meter.
The start of private sector partnership was in 2006, whereby LEAD Nepal with its mandate linked The Organic Village presently known as The Organic Valley (TOV) with the farmers. With the support of LEAD Nepal the organic products were examined and an MOU signed, followed by establishing a processing unit in Kathmandu for packaging and processing of organic products. By end 2007 the organic spices and grains were showcased in leading departmental stores in Kathmandu.
LEAD Nepal with its growing farmers families and the successful surplus yield of ginger and turmeric expanded the business horizon of the farmers, which encouraged LEAD Nepal to participate in numerous agricultural exhibitions abroad and within Nepal. Finally in 2013, with the intervention of LEAD Nepal a joint venture company was registered, “Organic Mountain Flavor Pvt. Ltd” (OMF). A ginger-processing unit with the capacity to process 600 tons each day was established in Surket District, Nepal.
By 2014, LEAD Nepal had linked 3800 farmers’ family directly to business centers in Nepal who sell their products to many outlets including OMF. By end 2014 OMF alone exported 297 tons of ginger annually, which was produced by 1700 farmers in Surket District. LEAD Nepal’s five year plan (2020) is to enhance the capacity of 36000 more farmers covering an area of 9000-hector farmland between the elevation of 300 to 3700 meter, increase their yield by 25%, acquire organic certificates and directly link them to business houses. Currently, LEAD Nepal is exploring export market opportunities.