Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country between India and China that acompeses about 147 000 square kilometres of land (CIA, 2014; Pariyar, 2008). The current population of Nepal is 28,212,572, with 48.5% of the population being male and 51.5% of the population being female (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2015; Durbar, 2014). The three main agro-ecological regions of Nepal are the Terai which is a flat plain in southern
Nepal and is home to the most fertile land (Pariyar, 2008). Then there is the Hills which is the located in the middle of Nepal, finally at elevations above 2000 metres is the Mountains (Pariyar, 2008).
About 28.8% of the land is used for agricultural purposes with 12.5% used for permanent pasture, 1.2% used for permanent crops and 15.1% arable land (CIA, 2014). Even though only 28.8% of the land in Nepal is used for agriculture purposes, about 70% of the population work in the agriculture sector accounting for only 38% of the Gross Domestic Product (USAID, 2015). Nepalese farmers have limited access to market opportunities, new seed and new technology which has lead to declining agricultural production (USAID, 2015). Declining agricultural production has lead to widespread hunger and malnutrition to many of the Nepalese people (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2015).
