Empowering Change: Jamuna’s Journey to Climate-Smart Farming in Nepal

Stories | June 12, 2025

In Nepal, agriculture is the backbone of the economy, with a significant portion of the population relying on farming for their livelihoods. However, a changing climate is making farming increasingly difficult, with unpredictable weather patterns, prolonged droughts, and intense rainfall affecting crop yields and farmers’ incomes.  
Jamuna, a 45-year-old woman from northern Nepal, is one such farmer.  Living with her family of six, including one person with a disability, Jamuna has faced numerous challenges. Relying primarily on traditional farming for her livelihood, managing her finances has been a constant struggle, making it hard to afford basic needs, education for her children, and medical treatment for her husband. 
 
Traditional farming methods often yield low production, especially during the dry season, leading to limited income. This situation forced Jamuna’s eldest son to migrate overseas for work. However, he earned little overseas and eventually returned, further challenging the family’s finances. With her husband requiring regular medication, the family had to rely on loans, even for minor expenses. Despite living in a house built by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) during an earthquake, Jamuna’s family have not received any livelihoods or empowerment support from the government or other NGOs. 
 
Jamuna’s life took a positive turn when she became involved in a CBM supported project that is helping people improve their income through livelihoods support. Through the project, Jamuna participated in a 16-week farmer training program. The training provided hands-on experience in various agricultural techniques, including soil treatment, nursery preparation, crop care, and harvesting methods. The project also introduced her to climate-smart agricultural practices. She learned how to use plastic tunnels for controlled growing environments, apply organic manure and fertilizers to enhance soil fertility, and install drip irrigation systems to optimise water use. These innovations and the training significantly improved her vegetable farming and productivity. This not only led to greater income but allowed her to prioritise her son’s education and improve her family’s financial stability. 
 
“Previously, our family faced constant financial struggles, but now our daily lives have become more manageable, and there has been a noticeable positive shift in family dynamics.” 
Jamuna 

 

The project also addressed poor accessibility, helping her construct an accessible pathway to her vegetable fields with materials she secured from the local government. This not only helped her own farming operations, enabling her to transport produce to the market more efficiently and conduct farmer training sessions with ease, but also ensured that people with disabilities could participate. It highlights how addressing physical barriers is critical to fostering inclusive and sustainable agricultural practices. 
 
Jamuna’s farm has now become a hub for knowledge-sharing and inspiration in her community. People frequently visit to purchase fresh vegetables and learn about new farming methods. Her success has earned her recognition as an entrepreneur, and her neighbors are now replicating her techniques, spreading the adoption of climate-smart agriculture across the area.  
  
 CBM Australia acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP)

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