Seed the future

The government has to rethink agricultural sustainability and food security.

Nepal has more mouths to feed than ever and relies heavily on food imports, hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers, making it increasingly dependent and vulnerable to food insecurity. In the last fiscal year, the country imported agricultural products worth $2.3 billion, according to the Department of Customs. While the ballooning import bills contribute significantly to an already bloated trade deficit, the alarm bell could have never been louder with the pandemic’s onset last year that closed borders and disrupted the supply-chain system further aggravated by geopolitical issues.