Energy Gardens for Small-Scale Farmers in Nepal Institutions, Species and Technology. Field Work Report

Abstract

Whilst access to clean energy is considered a fundamental to improve human welfare and protect environment, yet a significant proportion of people mostly in developing lack access to clean energy. Furthermore, efforts to generate clean energy through biofuel projects have attracted considerable controversy for displacing food production, land-grabbing, loss of biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions.Creation of community-based biofuel project for small scale farmers using indigenous plant species in areas such as field bunds, waste land, community forests and fences provide a real opportunity to overcome some of the environmental and social concerns about biofuels and provide clean energy to rural communities in developing countries. Energy Gardens for Small-Scale Farmers in Nepal: Institutions, Species and Technology" is a scoping study funded by Department for International Development (DfID) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the United Kingdom through ESRC-DFID Development Frontiers Research Fund -Grant reference: ES/K011812/1. This report brings together all the activities and outputs including fieldwork, workshops and advocacy work carried out as part of the Nepal Energy Gardens project.The overarching objective of the project is to explore farmer and community use and perceptions of biomass and biofuel energy in Nepal in order to assess the potential for uptake of the energy garden approach. In doing so, the project reviews biofuel policies in Nepal, identifies potential indigenous plant species suitable for biofuel production, and provides an overview of suitable technologies for community based energy gardens projects in the country. Also, the project seeks to transfer knowledge through active engagement with our collaborators in India where energy gardens concept has been successfully applied. In doing so the project also facilitated deliberative dialogues between policy makers, scientists, development activists, donors and grassroots community representatives to identify ways to resolve existing issues and tensions pertaining to renewable energy sector.The report highlights contemporary issues on renewable energy initiatives in Nepal with major focus on bioenergy. The workshop covered various aspects of renewable energy provisions in Nepal which included research approach, technology, past initiatives in bioenergy sector and emerging issues, and tensions at program level (meso level). It is important to point out that the participants from rural communities (community forestry and local schools) raised some key issues related to the failure of bioenergy initiatives in rural villages. This study also identifies factors constrained community members in adopting bioenergy. The community members continue to face multitude of problems such as lack of compensation schemes in case of any losses in production, lack of quality seeds and technologies, inadequate promotion/awareness, market dominated production system, agency led initiatives, inadequate species selections, lack of buy back mecha...

Plant Power: Opportunities and challenges for meeting sustainable energy needs from the plant and fungal kingdoms

“…It combines the cultivation of predominantly indigenous fuel plants on marginal or degraded land with the management of community forests, clearing invasive species, and use of agricultural and household waste to supply biomass for accessible energy processing technologies. Besides energy security, the system protects biodiversity, and improves food security (through agricultural productivity and ecosystem services such as pollinator provision) and water management (through erosion control) (Pariyar et al, 2016). The energy garden concept has been transferred to rural communities in Nepal (Pariyar et al, 2016).…”

“…Besides energy security, the system protects biodiversity, and improves food security (through agricultural productivity and ecosystem services such as pollinator provision) and water management (through erosion control) (Pariyar et al, 2016). The energy garden concept has been transferred to rural communities in Nepal (Pariyar et al, 2016). However, in order to ultimately displace fossil fuel combustion and reach net zero carbon emissions globally, some bioenergy solutions must also be scalable.…”