Strengthening the role of custodian farmers in the national conservation programme of Nepal

The workshop “Enhancing the contribution of custodian farmers to the National Plant Genetic Resources System in Nepal” brought together farmers from distant parts of Nepal who were recognized for their outstanding dedication and contribution to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity, known as custodian farmers. Joined by researchers, NGO representatives, and government officials, the workshop facilitated knowledge sharing and discussion with regard to three objectives: 1) to define methods and tools to support the work of custodian farmers, 2) to explore policy options to enable agricultural biodiversity conservation and 3) to develop understanding of the characteristics and motivations of custodian farmers. These proceedings share the results of this experience, presenting papers contributed by participating researchers and NGO representatives, farmer profiles, and the results of breakout discussions.