Climate-smart agriculture takes off, thanks to ‘women-friendly’ tools and a gender-smart approach

This case study examines a climate-smart agriculture initiative in Nepal led by Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD). The project focused on implementing the government's Chief Minister’s Environment Friendly Model Agriculture Village Programme (CMEFMAVP) in Gandaki province, emphasizing gender-responsive strategies and the adoption of 'women-friendly' tools to overcome barriers to climate resilience among rural farmers.

• Nepal's agricultural sector faces significant climate risks across three distinct agro-ecological regions: the high hill, mid hill, and Terai (flat plains). High altitude villages are prone to landslides, hailstorms, and drought, while the Terai region is susceptible to drought, cold and heat waves, and floods. These hazards erode top soils and negatively impact food security and community income.
• Women farmers in Nepal are disproportionately affected by climate change due to structural power inequalities and limited access to resources and information. This vulnerability is further increased by a male exodus for overseas employment, which makes the position of rural women more precarious.
• The implementation of climate-smart agriculture in Gandaki province initially faced several hurdles, including a lack of technical knowledge among government staff, a lack of awareness among political leaders, and the need for location-specific strategies to address diverse socio-economic and agro-ecological settings.
• The adoption of climate-smart practices was accelerated by introducing 'women-friendly' tools that reduce physical drudgery and save time. Specific tools promoted based on agro-ecological zones include the jab planter for vegetables, the millet thresher, and the hand-held corn sheller.
• LI-BIRD improved the uptake of the Chief Minister’s Environment Friendly Model Agriculture Village Programme (CMEFMAVP) by integrating it into local agricultural strategies and using 'travelling seminars' to engage female political leaders, allowing them to witness adaptation practices first-hand and advocate for policy changes.

APA

Bhusal, A., Sherpa, L., & Khatri, L. (2020). Climate-smart agriculture takes off, thanks to ‘women-friendly’ tools and a gender-smart approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Essentials_Nepal-Final.pdf

Chicago

Bhusal, Aastha, Lakpa Sherpa, and Laxman Khatri. Climate-smart agriculture takes off, thanks to ‘women-friendly’ tools and a gender-smart approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2020. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Essentials_Nepal-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bhusal |first1=Aastha |last2=Sherpa |first2=Lakpa |last3=Khatri |first3=Laxman |title=Climate-smart agriculture takes off, thanks to ‘women-friendly’ tools and a gender-smart approach |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=September 2020 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Essentials_Nepal-Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bhusal2020climatesmart, author = {Bhusal, Aastha and Sherpa, Lakpa and Khatri, Laxman}, title = {{Climate-smart agriculture takes off, thanks to ‘women-friendly’ tools and a gender-smart approach}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Essentials_Nepal-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }