Nepal Agroforestry Foundation (NAF) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 1991 by the group of agroforestry practitioners, leaders of community-based organizations (CBOs), professionals from various disciplines and the active farmers from different districts of Nepal and is under the aegis of the Social Welfare Council, Government of Nepal. NAF, as an umbrella organization, provides innovative agriculture techniques and agroforestry/community forestry support to CBOs, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community forest users groups (CFUGs), and savings & credit cooperatives (SCOs) and is committed to strengthen the capacities of poor and marginalized communities and groups to meet their basic needs. NAF is the leading and only one national NGO working in agroforestry researches and development works in Nepal.
With its collaborative partners, NAF has taken on the challenges to develop innovative agricultural techniques, and agroforestry/community forestry support systems that could benefit farmers’ production system and would contribute to income diversification, food security, sustainable land use and consequently, social and economic development of rural communities. It provides information, guidance and support to local authorities, cooperatives and farmers in setting up a sustainable agricultural and agroforestry system.
NAF programs has helped to strengthen the capacity of local farmers to adapt agroforestry, to build resilience of rural people, improve and empower the rural women, in the several working areas mostly in mid hills and mountain districts like Dhading, Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalchwok and Rasuwa. NAF is always committed to planning and implementing research and development projects as innovative and longer term strategies by understanding the local knowledge and farmers’ perspectives.
NAF facilitated to establish of Nepal Agroforestry Seed Cooperative Ltd. (NAFSCOL), a cooperative organization owned by local farmers involved in NAF agroforestry program; and to institutionalize the production and marketing of agroforestry seeds to interested organizations, farmers and individuals involved in agroforestry. As a sister organization of NAF, NAFSCOL deals with farmers and other stakeholders in supplying planting materials, particularly the quality seeds and identifying seed production pocket areas for promotion of quality seeds.
As the recent advancement in promoting applied agriculture, forestry and agroforestry in the country, NAF promoted a forestry college, Kathmandu Forestry College (KAFCOL) in 2005. Many professionals developed by NAF in the past have been involved to promote KAFCOL activities. The college intends to institutionalize training on agroforestry for mid-level extension workers through the academic institution and introduces agroforestry courses in its regular forestry degree curriculum.
Organizational Structure
NAF is governed by an Executive Board comprising of nine members who are elected by the General Assembly every three-year period. NAF has also a three-member advisory committee with experienced professionals to provide expert advisory support to the organization. At present, NAF has 49 life and general members consisting of women, farm activists and professionals from forestry, agroforestry, agriculture, rural development and management fields. A management committee represented by the Executive Director is responsible for project/program implementation, follow-up/monitoring and evaluation of the ongoing and completed activities.
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