Supporting local innovation in Nepal

For poor and vulnerable rural communities, innovating through local experimentation and adaptation in farming and other practices is an important means of survival. How can local innovation be fostered and valued alongside the wider development of high technology, which is commonly associated with globalisation?

Advancedtechnologies are often not readily accepted in rural settings because they donot match communities’ actual needs. Problems with ownership, user-friendlinessand affordability can hinder adoption. If local innovations are tried andtested by community members they are more likely to be taken up and valued.

KrishnaBahadur Tamang is a 56-yearold farmer in Nepal whose main source of livelihood is agriculture. Krishnadeveloped a bee hive using local material after learning about a bee hivesuitable for more commercial bees. He knew that his village had the potential tokeep bees as nectar trees are found in local forests, but the community had notyet been able to take advantage of this opportunity. Krishna now owns fourhives that he made himself and has sold a few outside the village.

Krishnahas used his local knowledge and available local resources and has made somethingthat is easy to use, repair and maintain. His case shows how adapting simpletechnologies can provide alternative means of income generation in rural areas.

Krishna’sinnovation has prompted the community to try bee keeping and honey productionas an alternative means of income generation. PROLINNOVA will help trainKrishna and a few interested community members toinitiate this. Krishna will also be able to meet bee keeping experts to testhis bee hives, which could be replicated and promoted.

Krishna’sexperience is an example of the ‘Participatory Innovation Development’ (PID)approach, which aims to support and realise the potential for local farmer innovation.

PROLINNOVAis a global partnership programme promoting local innovation and PID, committedto helping farmers play a decisive role in agricultural research anddevelopment worldwide. In Nepal, Practical Action works with LI-BIRD, the ECOSCENTRE, the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, and the Department ofAgriculture.

The emerging benefits of the PIDapproach include:

• improved local and specialised knowledgedue to joint experimentation combined with external expertise
• self-development of local innovators,who can provide benefits from local resources
• new avenues that link knowledge andskills for income generating activities across villages and communities
• betterfarmer-to-farmer information and communication systems that benefit innovatorsand their communities.

Experiencesof PID suggest that projects should:

• recognise and celebrate the creativityof farmers and local people
• allow farmers and local people to setthe agenda for research and development
• support farmers and local people to gainconfidence and a voice
• facilitate pro-poor agricultural research anddevelopment
• facilitatefood-secure farming communities which can sustain their livelihoods whilstsafeguarding the environment.