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In 2015, two major earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks devastated many remote farming communities in Nepal. In a country where four-fifths of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, the disasters significantly increased the threat of food insecurity, especially for subsistence farmers and their vulnerable families. Working with the Government of Nepal, FAO successfully assisted more than 182,000 farming families in the critical first few months, helping them to resume food production, care for surviving livestock, improve family nutrition and avoid the threat of food insecurity. FAO continues to support government-led efforts to address and coordinate food security and livelihood needs in the six districts severely affected by the earthquake: Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Rasuwa and Dolakha. FAO is helping organizations repair community seed storage facilities, provide additional food storage bags and help repair small irrigation infrastructure through a community-based cash-for-work programme, in collaboration with five local NGO partners and the Ministries of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
When disaster strikes
Subsistence farmer Jetha Tamang, 53, and his wife Kaili, 50, live in a village west of Kathmandu. The first earthquake destroyed 500 houses, including theirs, leaving only 15 survivors.
“In the weeks after the earthquake, it was difficult for us to take care of our family,” said Jeta. “I could only produce enough food to feed my family, and sometimes not even that, so I had to find a part-time job.”
But the family’s fortunes have improved as they are one of 65,000 households to receive a package of nine vegetable seeds, including some fast-growing varieties that can be eaten in as little as a month. The seeds were supplied by FAO in partnership with the Government of Nepal. Time is of the essence as the seeds need to be planted before the monsoon rains arrive. The FAO package also includes feed supplements to improve the health and productivity of the surviving livestock, and grain storage bags to protect the remaining seeds and grains.
As part of the programme, FAO also managed to reach an additional 40,000 households with just-in-time large bags of rice seeds (5 kg each), each of which produces several months of food.
Why earthquakes threaten food security
Landslides also compounded the disaster, killing livestock in fields and destroying animal shelters. One in six cattle and more than a third of chickens were killed, wiping out the life savings of some families.
Nepalese farmers traditionally store seeds and grains at home, but about half of households in the six worst-affected districts lost almost all of their stored rice, maize, wheat and millet. 60% of households lost almost all of their stored seeds.
Rice seed is particularly important for remote communities struggling to find it, as little rice is available on the market following the earthquake and remaining local seed supplies are in short supply. The upcoming monsoon is also a critical deadline. If rice, the staple food, is not planted before the rainy season arrives, farmers will be forced to wait a full year for the next harvest and will become more dependent on food aid.
If recovery begins immediately, it will produce tangible results
Farmers who received the feed supplement reported a significant increase in milk production, sometimes up to double normal milk production, and within a few months, farmers were harvesting vegetables grown from FAO seeds for home consumption or to sell at market.
Some crops, such as off-season cauliflower, have earned farmers up to four times the normal price. With new airtight food storage bags, families can protect surplus food and seeds from insects and other pests.
Initiatives have also been launched to develop income-generating activities in six priority areas, providing women’s groups with materials and training to build plastic greenhouses to produce vegetables year-round. This will allow these families to improve their nutritional status and earn some additional income in the future.
When disaster strikes, saving lives is the top priority, but enabling communities to recover and achieve food security immediately while strengthening their ability to respond to future crises is also critical.
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