Feeding the Mountains: Silvopasture for Food Security
Summary
Silvopasture could help ease Nepal’s winter forage shortages by combining fodder production with community forestry in suitable mountain areas. The approach aims to support livestock, protect forests, and strengthen food security for pastoral communities.
Key Points
- Nepal’s mountain herders face worsening winter forage shortages as climate change, forest restrictions, and shrinking rangelands intensify pressure on livestock systems.
- The article proposes silvopasture in selected community forests to produce fodder while maintaining tree cover and conservation value.
- Rotational grazing and fodder trees could provide winter feed, reduce pressure on high-altitude pastures, and improve soil and carbon storage.
- The model depends on herders, forest user groups, local governments, and researchers jointly deciding where and how grazing should be managed.
