Abstract
Biodiversity is more recognized as a critical component of food production and food security and an important component of environment conservation. So, the paper tries to address the key research questions about the factors influencing crop diversity on the farm and are the household with high farm diversity more food secure or not? The study thus aimed to assess the on-farm crop diversity and their relation to food self-sufficiency in two different agro-ecological regions of Nepal, i.e. Tulsipur sub-metropolitan (inner terai) and Sundarbazar municipality (mid-hill). For this, a total of 70 households were randomly selected, 35 from each region, and semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and focus group discussion were employed to collect primary data. And the richness, Shannon–wiener, Simpson index, and food self-sufficiency level of households were assessed. The Shannon Wiener index of vegetables, spices were found to be 3.770 and 3.721 and that of fruits was found 2.772 and 2.607 in the home garden of Tulsipur and Sundarbazar respectively. Food self-sufficiency was achieved among 40% of households in the Tulsipur while the figure of the Sundarbazar was only 28.6%. The size of cultivated area and species richness was found moderately positive correlated. Statistical analysis showed that agro-biodiversity across two regions had less difference and finally, the paper showed that biodiversity level has a direct link to household food self-sufficiency level which helps in reducing food insecurity. Our results, therefore, promote to make effective implementation of regional food security strategies and policies to improve.
Highlights
In light of these multiple challenges to food security, maintaining and increasing agro biodiversity is recognized as an agro ecological approach to enhancing food security as it stabilizes food systems and improves the dietary diversity of those who depend on local and regional food production (Esquinas-Alcázar, 2005; Thrupp and Thrupp, n.d.;, Ng’Endo et al, 2015)
We hypothesize that families with higher levels of agro biodiversity will have greater levels of food self-sufficiency but that this relation may be contingent on factors such as agro ecological region, market access, education. This argument might provide one indication that biologically diverse food and agricultural systems are more stable. We explore this issue in two contrasting agro ecological regions in the South Asian nation of Nepal, a country in which nearly 50 % of the population suffers from hunger and malnutrition and the majority of citizens depend on subsistence farming as their livelihood (Commission, n.d.; Division et al, 2011)
When we analyzed the differences in agro biodiversity between food self-sufficient and non-sufficient households, we found that self-sufficient groups had significantly (p
Summary
By the year 2050, the world population is projected to reach over 9 billion (Kahane et al, 2013). Agriculture needs to confront the consequences of global climate change, increasing competition for water, loss of productive land and competition for available land, continued migration from rural to urban areas and the growing social concerns about the character of the food production system. In light of these multiple challenges to food security, maintaining and increasing agro biodiversity is recognized as an agro ecological approach to enhancing food security as it stabilizes food systems and improves the dietary diversity of those who depend on local and regional food production (Esquinas-Alcázar, 2005; Thrupp and Thrupp, n.d.; , Ng’Endo et al, 2015). Industrial agriculture, which is based on highly specialized monocultures of starchy staples, is extremely productive, but harvests could be fragile when produced on the type of marginal lands traditionally (Fraser, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
