Value Chain Development and Mainstreaming of Traditional Crops for Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture in Nepal

Traditional  crops  cultivated and  consumed  over generations  are important  components of  agrobiodiversity that support dietary  diversity, sustaining productivity  and livelihoods  of marginalized populations in Nepal. The paper outlines initiatives and progress  made for  value chain development and mainstreaming traditional nutrient-dense crops for nutrition sensitive agriculture by exploiting rich biodiversity in Nepal. Use of traditional crop biodiversity for nutrition sensitive value chain development can play positive role by taking into consideration not only how diverse nutrient-dense foods are produced but also how they are processed, distributed, marketed and consumed to supply nutritious food for household nutrition security. However, presently value chains of biodiversity of traditional crops are weak,  fragmented and not properly connected among sub-components of production,  processing, marketing and consumption system. Considering this, focus of biodiversity-based value chain development for mainstreaming nutrition sensitive agriculture is suggested and applied at the local and national level to improve their performance, efficiency and interlinkages.