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Summary

Mr. Niranjan Pudasaini, Senior Program Officer at LI-BIRD, in his presentation focused on agriculture within the context of disasters with seeds at the core during a SEADS discussion organized by DPNet Nepal. He highlighted the 5 core principles of SEADS Standards and underscored Nepal's heavy reliance on traditional crop landraces, while emphasizing that over 75% of farm households obtain seeds from informal sources, and the formal seed system contributes less than 22% to national demand. Mr. Pudasaini emphasized the deteriorating local seed system due to socio-economic changes and linked it to the increasing trend of disaster events since 2000. Recurring hazards include fire, landslides, thunderbolts, heavy rainfall, floods, and windstorms, which became more pronounced in 2015. He highlighted the challenges faced by smallholder farmers during disasters, emphasizing issues related to seed quality, availability, affordability, and resilience efforts. Mr. Pudasaini outlined LI-BIRD's initiatives, including quick relief, earthquake recovery, and flood resilience projects, and highlighted the role of Community Seed Banks (CSBs) in enhancing local seed systems and overall resilience, emphasizing their five core functions.