1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación del Enfoque

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación del Enfoque si fuera relevante)

HELVETAS (Swiss Intercooperation)

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación del Enfoque si fuera relevante)

ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) - Nepal

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

01/03/2013

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT :

Sí

1.4 Referencia/s al/los Cuestionario(s) de Tecnologías MST

2.1 Breve descripción del Enfoque

Riverbed farming provides landless and land-poor households with the possibility to earn an income from on-farm activities close to home

2.2 Descripción detallada del Enfoque MST

Descripción detallada del Enfoque MST:

Aims / objectives: At least 20% of the households in the Terai, the plains of southern Nepal, do not own land. In order to make a living, these households commonly rely on share cropping and work in low paid off-farm jobs. The approach described here allows these farmers to make the most of the large areas of fallow land near riverbeds which are normally unclaimed and not cultivated. Since the lands near riverbeds have alluvial soils and sufficient moisture, they are suitable for seasonal vegetable cultivation during the dry season. In order for these landless and land-poor households to be able to farm these riverbed areas, they need to have access to suitable plots and the necessary agricultural inputs and training.

Methods: Potential riverbed areas are identified using topographic maps; subsequently, field verification identifies whether the selected riverbed areas are indeed suitable for cultivating horticultural crops. During the field verification, target groups in the given riverbed area are identified and the land is assessed in consultation with them. The relevant stakeholders are the village development committee and the district agricultural development office. Local resource persons are selected from target groups, which typically consist of 20 to 25 households, and are given training so that they can provide the local technical support. Once the farmer target groups have been identified and the riverbed sites selected, the group is given the legal support needed to get a leasehold agreement with the land owner, often the state. The riverbed area is then parcelled out to landless and land-poor households based on fixed selection criteria. This approach works best when the riverbed land area is at least 3 ha because it means that every target household can cultivate at least 0.13 ha (4 kattha), the least amount of land which can provide a meaningful cash income.

2.3 Fotos del Enfoque

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde el Enfoque fue aplicado

2.7 Tipo de Enfoque

• proyecto/ basado en un programa

2.8 Propósitos/ objetivos principales del Enfoque

The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (income generation of poor and landless household)

Give landless and land-poor households access to riverbed land for cash crop cultivation so that they can increase their household income and their food security

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: • A high number of landless and land-poor households subsist on share cropping and low paid off-farm work
• The number of landless and land-poor households is increasing because many farmers have lost their agricultural land due to floods, many hill farmers are migrating to the Terai, and an increasing population means that holdings are divided up into ever smaller plots
• Inadequate agricultural extension for riverbed farming
• There are no local level policies which allow landless and land-poor farmers access to marginal lands

2.9 Condiciones que facilitan o impiden la implementación de la/s Tecnología/s aplicadas bajo el Enfoque

3.1 Partes interesadas involucradas en el Enfoque y sus roles

3.2 Involucramiento de los usuarios locales de tierras/ comunidades locales en las distintas fases del Enfoque

	Involucramiento de los usuarios locales de tierras/ comunidades locales	Especifique quién se involucró y describa las actividades
iniciación/ motivación	interactivo	Group meeting conducted with key members of a group, request for follow-up forwarded to supporting organization.
planificación	interactivo	The riverbed area is selected and the land is distributed to the members. The arrangements are agreed in consultation with both men and women of the producer group.
implementación	auto-movilización	Land preparation, sowing, irrigation, weeding, harvesting, and marketing. Both men and women are involved.
monitoreo y evaluación	interactivo	The process of requesting access to the riverbed land involves group level discussions between farmers and government officials or land owners. Key members of the group (e.g. chair person or secretary) are involved in monitoring and evaluating the success of the riverbed farming programme.
Research	interactivo	Farmers pilot crop innovations based on the research design suggested by supporting organizations and they provide feedback on how successful the implementation was.

3.3 Flujograma (si estuviera disponible)

3.4 La toma de decisiones en la selección de Tecnología(s) MST

Especifique quién decidió la selección de las Tecnología/ Tecnologías a implementarse:

• principalmente usuarios de tierras con el apoyo de especialistas MST

Explique:

Farm coordinators consult with the Elam Plus team, the District Agricultural Development Office, local resource persons, and producers groups to come up with a mutually agreed technology.

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by land users supported by SLM specialists. Producers groups and local resource persons work in close collaboration with farm coordinators and the enterprise development officers of Elam Plus.

4.1 Construcción de capacidades / capacitación

¿Se proporcionó la capacitación a usuarios de tierras/ otras partes interesadas?

Sí

Especifique quién fue capacitado:

• personal de campo/ consejeros

Forma de capacitación:

• Technical training and extension services

Temas avanzados:

The Regional Agricultural Training Centre of the Department of Agriculture trains the local resource persons. Once trained, they help to raise awareness among landless and land-poor farmers of the advantages of riverbed farming and they also give them technical training and extension services

4.2 Servicio de asesoría

¿Los usuarios de tierras tienen acceso a un servicio de asesoría?

Sí

Especifique si servicio proporcionado se realizó:

• en los campos de los usuarios de tierras

Describa/ comentarios:

Name of method used for advisory service: Training; Key elements: The District Agricultural Development Office provides plant protection expertise and Elam Plus provides technical backstopping and field learning.

4.3 Fortalecimiento institucional (desarrollo institucional)

¿Se establecieron o fortalecieron instituciones mediante el Enfoque?

• sí, moderadamente

Especifique el nivel o los niveles en los que se fortalecieron o establecieron las instituciones:

• local

Especifique el tipo de apoyo:

• construcción de capacidades/ entrenamiento

Proporcione detalles adicionales:

Local resource persons form their own organizations and their capacity is strengthened.

4.4 Monitoreo y evaluación

¿El monitoreo y la evaluación forman parte del Enfoque?

Sí

Comentarios:

technical aspects were monitored through measurements; indicators: In total, 35 local resource persons were trained and mobilized in Kailali and Kanchanpur Districts.

socio-cultural aspects were monitored through observations; indicators: Riverbed farming indirectly reduces outmigration and the need for farmers to seek off-farm employment like collecting and cutting fuelwood and other seasonal labour.

economic / production aspects were monitored through measurements; indicators: On average, households can earn USD 352 (NPR 25,000) in 6 months from 0.13 ha (4 katthas) of land.

area treated aspects were monitored through measurements; indicators: In 2011, a total area of 396 ha was under riverbed cultivation with support from Elam Plus in Kailali and Kanchanpur.

no. of land users involved aspects were monitored through measurements; indicators: In 2011, about 3,000 landless and land-poor households were involved in 122 riverbed farming areas. The number of households increased from 2000 in 2008 to 3165 in 2012.

management of Approach aspects were monitored through observations; indicators: Management of the riverbed farming programme is handled by Elam Plus. The riverbed farming management committee plays an active role in co-ordinating fund contributions from stakeholders for input purchases, organizing planning and review meetings, conducting joint field monitoring, and other relate

4.5 Investigación

¿La investigación formó parte del Enfoque?

Sí

Especifique los temas:

• tecnología

Proporcione detalles adicionales e indique quién hizo la investigación:

Innovations, such as piloting new crops, selecting appropriate varieties, and trying out new cultivation techniques are activities supported by Elam Plus through regular communication with the local resource persons.

Research was carried out both on station and on-farm

5.1 Presupuesto anual para el componente MST del Enfoque

Comentarios (ej. fuentes principales de financiamiento/ donantes principales):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: national non-government (Producer's Group): 40.0%; other: 60.0%

5.2 Apoyo financiero/material proporcionado a los usuarios de tierras

¿Los usuarios de tierras recibieron financiamiento/ apoyo material para implementar la Tecnología/ Tecnologías? :

Sí

5.3 Subsidios para insumos específicos (incluyendo mano de obra)

• agrícola

• otro

Si la mano de obra de usuarios de tierras fue un insumo sustancial, ¿fue:

• voluntario?

Comentarios:

Labour is provided by the farmer groups themselves costing an equivalent of USD 213 (NPR 15,100) per hectare.

5.4 Crédito

¿Se proporcionó crédito bajo el Enfoque para actividades MST?

Sí

Especifique las condiciones (tasa de interés el apoyo, amortización, etc.):

No credit was extended for riverbed farming, but the groups have initiated their own savings schemes. These group funds can be used for loans to purchase the required inputs.

6.1 Impactos del Enfoque

6.2 Motivación principal del usuario de la tierra para implementar MST

6.3 Sostenibilidad de las actividades del Enfoque

¿Pueden los usuarios de tierras sostener lo que se implementó mediante el Enfoque (sin apoyo externo)?

• sí

Si respondió que sí, describa cómo:

The local stakeholders in the riverbed farming approach are committed to providing funds and to being actively involved in reviews, planning, and joint field monitoring. Riverbed farmers have gained basic know-how, and trained local resource persons are available to help at the local level if needed. The Micro Enterprise Development Fund now has a presence in the district and producers can access support from them for riverbed farming. Farmers' groups have already organized savings schemes that can be used to purchase the required agricultural inputs. The majority of farmers continued riverbed farming beyond the third crop and many made a significant income. Riverbed farming has a negligible negative impact on the environment. When all of these factors are considered, riverbed farming is indeed a sustainable activity.

6.4 Fortalezas/ ventajas del Enfoque

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
Marketing facilitators have been developed in each group. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Capacity building of the marketing facilitators needs further attention.)
Local agrovets are available and they have the capacity to provide the right inputs. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Local agrovets need to be aware of the needs of this new type of farming in order to ensure timely inputs.)
Local government stakeholders are positive about riverbed farming and the current level of coordination from Elam Plus is appreciated. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: This needs a model so that it can be institutionalized and replicated in other areas.)
Trained resource persons who can provide extension services are available locally. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: The local resource persons need to be linked with the Micro Enterprise Development Fund and their services need to be diversified to include aspects all along the market chain.)
Groups have mobilized their savings funds to purchase inputs. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Encourage the formation of savings and credit groups.)
Riverbed farming increases household income. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Market-led production should be further promoted.)
Village development committees have to become involved in the land leasing process. (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Develop policies related to land leasing.)

6.5 Debilidades/ desventajas del Enfoque y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Currently riverbed farming producer groups are scattered and their production is limited.	Production needs be market-led and farmers should have better links to markets.
Riverbed farming is supported on a case-to-case basis by line agencies and non-governmental organizations.	The Ministry of Local Development can develop a riverbed farming policy to ensure that landless and land-poor farmers have access to riverbed lands

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información