Blog Leveraging CGIAR Methodologies for Actionable Insights in Heifer Nepal's Programming
In Nepal, non-profit organizations are scaling up efforts to improve livestock farming and contribute to the country’s long-term net-zero strategy. A set of studies by the Alliance, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Heifer International have provided insights to increase productivity and sustainability in livestock farming.
Background:
From the lowland plains of the Terai to the high mountains, rural people in Nepal rely on livestock for both their food and livelihoods - all while helping bridge the gap between the growing demand for food and available supply in urban areas. Studies show that small ruminants such as goat and sheep are historically and culturally important in crop-livestock mixed farming systems in Nepal, due to their ability to maximize plant resources as feeds, especially in mountainous areas.
This crucial sector does however pose challenges for the country, being one of the largest contributors to methane emissions, alongside rice. With half of global GHG emissions from agriculture coming from livestock, it is crucial for the sector to boost productivity in an environmentally sustainable way.
The Challenge:
Heifer Nepal reached out to the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT for assistance in employing CGIAR methodologies to evaluate the impact of their programs. The goal was to develop tailored recommendations that would increase productivity and sustainable practices for the farmers they support. Beyond improving livelihoods, this work contributes to Nepal’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on climate change and its long-term net-zero strategy, which emphasize the role of climate-smart practices for reducing emissions in livestock production.
Heifer Nepal runs extensive agricultural development programs across 43 districts, supported by a network of over 12,500 self-help groups, 255 cooperatives and three district unions. These programs focus on building competitive, resilient agricultural value chains by improving farmers’ access to vital enterprise support services. While Heifer supports several commodity value chains, their flagship initiative targets smallholder goat farming communities.
The Approach:
The Alliance team worked closely with ILRI to link multiple CGIAR methodologies, combining tools to assess the impact of Heifer’s programming. The key objective was understanding the challenges and opportunities for smallholder goat farmers in Nepal, specifically regarding the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) techniques and their potential to reduce carbon emissions.
The approach leveraged:
- RHoMIS (Rural Households Multi-Indicator Survey) to gather household-level data
- CLEANED (Comprehensive Livestock Environmental Assessment for improved Nutrition and secured Environment and Sustainable Development along livestock value chains) to evaluate the environmental sustainability of livestock value chains
- Soil Analysis techniques to identify region-specific management practices, and
- Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) to measure the economic feasibility of interventions and cost-effectiveness of program-level mitigation interventions.
This comprehensive assessment was conducted across three regions (Sarlahi-Eastern Terai, Chitwan-Inner Terai, Surkhet-Mid-West Hills), involving 316 household interviews, evaluating two Heifer-supported cooperatives and one non-Heifer cooperative in each region.
Results: Did We Deliver?
The project concluded with the presentation of four detailed information briefs, along with a summary to Heifer Nepal. These documents outlined key findings and provided actionable recommendations to improve the productivity and environmental sustainability of their programs.
Briefs
Mark Chandler - Director of Environment at Heifer International - emphasized the value of this approach in identifying realistic pathways to achieving desired changes. He noted: “This partnership with the Alliance provides tools and critical feedback to create and communicate pathways that align interventions with key national and global policy objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions.”
The findings were also well received by the Nepalese Government, as the recommendations provided insights for integrating successful activities into broader national programs, promoting the most suitable CSA interventions across livestock production.
Conclusion
By leveraging a combination of CGIAR methodologies, this collaboration provided Heifer Nepal with the evidence needed to optimize their programming for greater productivity and sustainability. This case illustrates how cutting-edge research and CGIAR collaboration can drive impactful data-driven change for smallholder farmers and national climate strategies alike.
Photos caption / 1 - Family of Amrita Pun (40) and her husband Narjaat Pun (45) in Fattepur Village, Nepal live a better life after Amrita became a part of Heifer's self-help group. Photos and text credit to: Heifer Nepal
