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Nepal is on the verge of experiencing food insecurity because of the challenges arising from climate change, poor farming technology, insufficient supply of farming inputs, deteriorating quality of soils, and financial instability among other factors. Nepal has a GDP of about $22 billion which is expected to feed over 28 million persons. A significant portion of the country's GDP is contributed by agricultural production. Climate change, which results in low productivity tends to make market prices for commodities to rise. Moreover, literature shows that the country has a high demand for agricultural produce despite being short in supply. While focusing on the food system, this research assesses the issue and demonstrates how Nepal is strengthening its strategies targeted at improving food security. The food system of Nepal is dictated by drivers such as technology, climate change, consumer income, health issues, degradation of the environment, consumer attitudes, and urbanization among other factors. To foster food security, Nepal is strategically committed to improving scale competitiveness and economies. The government has adopted a value chain approach to foster even development and eradicate poverty. The domestic value chain is expected to be improved by raising the standards of the existing Nepal infrastructure.

Introduction Nepal is a landlocked country situated in Asia with an average population of 28 million people. With a GDP of about $22.96 billion, Nepal has over 65 percent of its people relying on agricultural produce. Considering the country's population and its GDP, it is possible to assert that the country experiences a food shortage. At least 25 percent of Nepal's population lives below the poverty level. Food security and unemployment remain to be a huge concern that threatens the well-being of Nepal. Over the years, statistics show that Nepal’s economy in terms of GDP has experienced significant improvement. In recent years, the country reported a GDP growth of 7.1 percent (Sharma & Pudasaini, 2020). The agricultural sector being at the center of Nepal's economy, it has provided employment opportunities thus addressing poverty issues. The country has been able to produce agricultural commodities despite the climatic conditions. The local farmers have actively engaged in the production of high-value crops thus boosting the country's economy (Jha et al., 2021). The external stress and shocks also threaten the national food system. As a result, Nepal needs to strengthen its food security system strategies to address the issues. In this research paper, the primary goal is to evaluate Nepal's food system and determine how the country can strengthen its food security system. Nepal’s Food System To conceptualize Nepal's food system, there are key drivers that we must acknowledge. The drivers, include but are not limited to technology, population growth, change in consumer income, health matters, urbanization, climate change, and environmental degradation. All these factors dictate Nepal's food system (Subedi et al., 2020). They all influence the existing value of food, consumer attitudes, and the general food security of the country. According to (Sharma & Pudasaini, 2020), Nepal is committed to strengthening its food security, particularly by striving to increase food availability, stability, accessibility, and utilization. Despite being on the verge of food insecurity due to factors such as climate change among others, the country seems to be heading in the right direction (Chemjong et al., 2020). Recent reports indicate that Nepal is experiencing an increased supply of protein, ranging from tubers to cereals. Moreover, emerging details show that consumption behaviors have slowed down in the country thus reducing overconsumption of agricultural produce such as cereals. Low consumption is directly influenced by the increasing prices of farm produce and the constant underproduction in the country (Sharma & Pudasaini, 2020). Food System in Nepal and Climate Change The performance of the agricultural sector in Nepal is dictated by the monsoon. The uncertainties caused by climate change hurt the agricultural production of Nepal hence affecting the country's GDP. As production declines due to the effects of climate change, the market prices of these commodities rise (Karki et al., 2018). By 2080, research indicates that the country is likely to experience production loss of commodities such as maize, and wheat and rise at the rate of 7 percent. Therefore, the effects of rapidly increasing food prices and shortages threaten the future of Nepal's GDP and the well-being of Nepal’s citizens (Adhikari et al., 2020). The agriculture and the service sector are Nepal’s cornerstones when it comes to national revenue. The country is also subjected to extreme temperatures contributed by climate change. It is estimated that Nepal experiences a temperature increase of 0.0560C per year. Increased temperatures with low precipitation threaten agricultural production. The smallholding farmers, vulnerable persons and landless laborers relying on agriculture for their livelihoods are likely to be affected by the climatic trends in the country. More than 27 percent of Nepal's agricultural practices rely on irrigation because of unreliable precipitation (National Planning Commission, 2019). Severe droughts and irregular precipitation patterns threaten the agricultural sector which is heavily relied on by a significant population. The country's agricultural sector is also vulnerable to cases of insect pests, crop diseases, and reduced quality of soil among others. These aspects slow agricultural production hence disrupting the food system of Nepal.

Table 3: Use of Groundwater and surface water for Irrigation in Nepal Province Ground-water Irrigation (ha) Surface Irrigation (ha) Total (ha) Percentage (%) 1 99, 700 199, 200 298, 900 21 2 183,100 282, 900 466, 000 32 3 15,300 73, 300 88, 500 6 Gandaki 21,100 64, 000 85, 200 6 5 118, 500 217, 100 335, 600 23 Karnali 500 33, 600 34, 100 2 Surdupashchim 55, 700 90, 700 146, 300 10 Grand Total 960, 800 493, 800 1, 454, 600 100 Source: Department of Irrigation, Irrigation Master Plan, 2018. Food Production in Nepal Nepal's food production, which relies on production is adversely affected by changes in technology and its efficiency. The increased adoption of subsistence farming in the region has made most of the farmers disregard agricultural technologies. Farmers are also facing financial issues that interfere with food production. Insufficient farming inputs are a problem for farmers, making it impossible to produce high yields. Even as the agricultural sector continues to face numerous issues, it is noted that the demand for food in this country exceeds production. Since food production in Nepal cannot meet the current demand, many are forced to rely on Indian food resulting in a loss of the country's revenue (Kumar et al., 2020). The issue around food production is not only confined to agricultural capacity but also the way it is sustained and distributed. Besides Nepal doing its best to enhance food production, its people, particularly those living in urban centers can indulge in peri-urban agriculture to boost the country’s GDP (Sharma & Pudasaini, 2020). This is a suitable way of helping boost and match the food demand and supply. Below is a forecasted food production in the country envisioned in the country’s policies and strategies. Nepal’s Policy, strategy, and resilience in the face of climate change As climate change remains a huge threat to food security in the country, it is noted that farmers are running away from conventional and climatic adaptation strategies. Some of the approaches that are being disregarded in modern farming are water harvesting for rainfed dry farming practices. When responding to climate change effects such as continued and severe droughts, and extreme temperatures with low precipitation, the smallholder farmers have adopted crop diversification, irrigation practices, off-farm deployment, and agroforestry among others (Kandel et al., 2024). These practices have strategically helped respond to the challenges brought by climate change in Nepal. Reports indicate that some parts of the country have improved in terms of food security due to increased levels of educational attainment. Male-headed families have shown greater food security Nepal, through its policies, advocates for healthy and sustainable production of food. For instance, the National Health Policy highlights provisions and guidelines for nutritious production and consumption. The National Agriculture Policy on the other adds more weight to improving the volume of food production from the agricultural sector (Chemjong et al., 2020). The policy also acknowledges the importance of producing food that is rich in Vitamin A. The policy encourages the Nepalese to consume locally produced commodities and those that are acceptable in their culture. In one way or the other, the government aims to encourage domestic spending on local food by its people to enhance revenue collection (Kumar et al., 2020). Climate change threat is a huge threat to any other country in the country across the globe. With a central focus on Nepal, it is clear that the country has taken possible policy measures to combat the threat. Through the Climate Change Policy (CCP), Nepal’s government has continuously implemented, monitored, and assessed relevant policies surrounding climate change (Kandel et al., 2024). The government believes in creating a prosperous nation by reinforcing climate change policies that encourage the conservation of the natural environment and sustainable practices. Climate change has continued to affect livelihoods, food availability, and crop production in the country thus causing economic decline. In terms of the Climate Change Policy (2011), the country has adopted a greater capacity to track and measure the current and future impacts surrounding climate change. Furthermore, the government through its climate change policies has helped people realize opportunities that come along with climate change effects. Full utilization of opportunities created by climate change can help boost the living standards of people leading to a prosperous country. Nepal's government has also strengthened its strategies in the face of climate change by enhancing climatic resilience. Through Climate-Resilient Planning (CRP), the government continues to work closely with relevant agencies and departments to make sure that there is a better understanding of climate variables among the locals. Around mountain eco-regions, the government of Nepal has helped build climate resilience. Since climate change is rooted in high levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, Nepal has enforced energy policies that promote the use of clean energy among households. The government believes that, by maximizing the efficiency of energy and adopting renewable energy, it is possible to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere (Neupane et al., 2022). The government has further included climate change needs in the national budget. The government recently implemented the National Dairy Development Policy (2021) to increase milk production. The enforcement of the policy was made successful through government collaborations and partnerships with the private sector. With this policy, the country aims to achieve high production of milk. Another policy is the National Nutrition Policy which was implemented in 2020 and targets to boost the status of nutrition across the nation. The policy encourages access to healthy food types and ensures hygiene and sanitation are maintained. The National Food Safety Policy (2019) has also been instrumental in promoting quality and hygienic food (Kumar et al., 2020). The policy prioritizes the safety of consumers by ensuring that manufacturers and producers align with the ethical standards around food quality (Word Food Programme, 2023). Nepal also recognizes the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 that strives to end starvation and ensure food insecurity is adequately addressed through sustainable agricultural practices (Adhikari et al., 2020). To offer long-term solutions to food insecurity that continues to threaten all Nepalese, the government through policy-making, strategies, resilience, and plans has made significant improvements in recent years. Through its national policies and strategies, the country has outlined clear intentions aimed at addressing food insecurity. The country has outlined guidelines through its policies on how food can be made available, accessible, stable, and sustainable. According to Article 36 of Nepal's constitution, access to food is a fundamental right for every Nepalese. Food and Food Sovereignty Act (2018) also recognizes food as a fundamental right to all (World Food Programme, 2018). The policies continue to encourage local production through agriculture and increase the country's GDP (Tripathi et al., 2023). There are potential programs that Nepal has established in the agricultural sector to increase food production. Farmers have been assured of increased farming income as they strive to bring quality and affordable food into the local market for consumers. Nepal’s strategies aimed at addressing food security Having acknowledged food insecurity as a national concern, the government of Nepal strives to do its best and ensure the issue at hand is addressed adequately. The government has deployed meaningful and productive strategies that have helped to match food demand and production. One of the approaches is through policy-making (Sharma et al., n.d). Nepal has adopted a fertilizer and farm mechanization policy that addresses the heavy concerns of the smallholder farmers who are working hard to improve the country's GDP. To strengthen the food systems at the local level, the government of Nepal has enhanced smallholder resilience through the fertilizer and farm mechanization policy (Khanal et al., 2020). As emphasized (Adhikari et al., 2023), the movement of these farm inputs also requires a well-developed infrastructure. Since the level of infrastructural development in the country is low, farmers have faced numerous challenges in accessing farm inputs for better production. By making fertilizers more accessible and affordable, the agricultural sector, which is the country's backbone as far as GDP is concerned can improve (FEED THE FUTURE, 2024). Nepal continues to provide farmers with affordable fertilizers to enhance commodity production (Krupnik et al., 2021). Looking at Nepal's food policies, strategies, and agendas, it is clear to us that the country has created a strong foundation for mitigating food insecurity and eradicating poverty. For instance, by 2030, Nepal has expressed its commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (2), which is to end starvation attain adequate food supply, and enhance nutrition and agricultural production. Agriculture being the cornerstone of the country's economy, Nepal, through its policies and strategies prioritizes farmer's needs (Khanal et al., 2020). Farmers have been provided with government incentives and support to improve the volume of agricultural production (Adhikari et al., 2023). Assessment of Nepal’s Food System A critical assessment of Nepal's food system also shows that most of the government's policies and strategies in the agricultural sector, including nutrition field school and the farmer field school have helped raise the country's nutritious status. The policies have significantly created avenues for the development of the "hat bazaar" (the well-being of farmers) slogan that emphasizes increased volumes of agricultural produce (Vaidya et al., 2021). The policies and strategies have also increased farmers' accessibility and affordability to subsidized crops and vegetable seeds (Ghimire et al., 2022). Persons living below the poverty level have gained access to food through public food distribution facilities. Even though the food system policies and strategies have helped address food insecurity in the country, the growing population is at risk of experiencing food shortages in the long run (Vaidya et al., 2021). While assessing the food system present in Nepal, it is noted that most of the country's food policies are confined to the nutritional aspects. There is little emphasis on Nepal's food system. Most of the policies and strategies have little contribution to a sustainable food system. For instance, the issues to do with the use of land, consumer attitude, use of technology in farming, and labor migration have not been adequately addressed in the policies (Adhikari et al., 2023). Conclusion In summary, Nepal is among the most disadvantaged countries in the Asian continent that is harshly affected by food insecurity. As a landlocked country, the country has a high population that heavily relies on agricultural produce. The food systems in the country have significantly improved due to the country's policies, plans, and strategies that target to increase agricultural production. Nepal's GDP significantly depends on agricultural production. It is noted that agricultural production continues to face challenges arising from climate change. Through its climate change policies, Nepal has encouraged its people to take opportunities that come with climate change. Moreover, the country has a set of policies that emphasize the use of clean energy as a means of reducing greenhouse concentrations in the atmosphere. Nepal is aware of the food shortage and, hence committed to ensuring food sustainability. When assessing the country's food system, it is clear that most of the country's policies and strategies have paid little focus on land usage, and farm mechanization among other factors that would enhance the food system. Most of Nepal's food policies revolve around nutrition with little emphasis on maximizing agricultural production. The effectiveness of food system policies and strategies has faced various challenges such as uneven distribution of farming resources, opaque systems of marketing, inadequate and poorly maintained food storage facilities, inadequate food processing facilities, and other uncertainties encountered during the distribution of food. During the Covid-19 pandemic, these issues escalated, putting many lives at risk of starving. 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