IPSI Collaborative Activity Proposal Form
The following form is for use when submitting proposed IPSI Collaborative Activities for consideration by the IPSISteering Committee. See the Collaborative Activity Guidelines on p. 3 for more information.
Please return the completed form to the IPSI Secretariat (isi@unu.edu).
IPSI Collaborative Activities are the activities that shall be undertaken by more than one IPSI member
and constitute an important part of IPSI activities with the purpose of fostering collaboration within theIPSI membership and implementing the IPSI Strategy and Plan of Action. The IPSI CollaborativeActivities shall be developed and implemented with the endorsement of the Steering Committee inaccordance with the Collaborative Activity Guidelines. Resource mobilization for IPSI collaborative
activities shall be the responsibility of the implementing members in principle. – IPSI Operational
Guidelines, Chapter 5.4
Date of Application:

Sept 27, 2016

Project title:
Building sustainable and resilient village economies based on agroforestry forest fruit garden systems and 'fair
trade carbon farming' offsets
Collaborating organizations (IPSI members):（*Please underline the leading organization)
1. Kathmandu Forestry College (KAFCOL)
2. Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Nepal
Other contributing organization(s) (including IPSI non-members):
District Forest Office, Tanhun
Ratanpur Community Forest User Group
Jumdanda Jhapri Community Forest User Group
Ithaka Institute for Climate Farming, Nepal
Expected term (e.g. 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2015):
01 July 2015 to Sept 2018
IPSI strategic objective(s) addressed (tick all that apply; see p. 3 for more details):√

1. Increase knowledge and understanding of SEPLS√

2. Address direct and underlying causes responsible for the decline or loss of SEPLS√

3. Enhance benefits from SEPLS√

4. Enhance human, institutional and sustainable financial capacities

Continued on next page.

1

Description of the activity:
Please provide as much information as possible on: Background Activities (including site locations if applicable)
 Expected outcomes Actors and task sharing
 How the activity relates to the IPSI Strategy and IPSI Plan of Action
 Resources, funding Monitoring and reporting
Background
Kathmandu Forestry Collage (KAFCOL), Ithaka Institute for Climate Farming Nepal and Ministry of Forest andSoil Conservation, Nepal jointly applies this collaborative activity proposal to IPSI Secretariat for approval. This
project is proposed to be implemented in Ratanpur villages of Tanahun District (middle hill region) of Nepal witha population of more than 1000 and 224 households. Ethnicity consists of mainly indigenous and disadvantaged
communities. This project assists mostly low-income woman farmers to establish sustainable agroforestry forest
fruit garden system on barren and under-utilized private farm lands by planting high value timber, fruit, nut,
fodder and oil as well as non-timber forest products species including ginger, turmeric, black piper, mulberry,Moringa oleofera (drum stick), Buddha chitta mala, Shiva tree, cinnamon tree and broom grass. These species
were locally grown in the past two-three decades in the proposed region, but have since almost disappeared
from these lands. Agro-forests and cottage industries on family owned farms will be established with the aim toproduce both food and fodder for own use and cash incomes from the processing, development and sale oforganic non-timber tree products for example Organic Cinnamon leaf oil for the tea and cosmetic industry, anddried Moringa leaf for 'super food' producers. In the beginning, existing old local trees will be used forprocessing essential oil. Innovative knowledge from biochar based organic farming and biodiversity research will
be applied to improve fertility and climate change resilience on depleted and abandoned hill-side soils. Those
methods proved already to increase the survivability rate and productivity of the planted trees and crops. On
farm investments are needed for water harvesting swales and small dams to provide irrigation in dry periods.
The increasing carbon stocks both in tree biomass and soil carbon will be sold under a “fair trade carbonfarming” offset to CO2 emitting organizations in Europe.
Objectives of the project
The main objective of the project is to help breaking the negative cycle of land degradation and diminishingreturns from the practice of low-input monocultural farming on depleted hill-side soils and thereby improving
livelihoods for their families and village communities and restoring disappeared trees and plant species of private
owned barren farm lands.
Specific objectives are to: Cultivate barren and underutilized lands
 Restore ecosystem services (water, biodiversity and humus) and control erosion
 Capture carbon in agroforestry systems
 Increase the economic potential of degraded farm lands Develop new forest products (such as essential oils, dried fruits, silk) Create opportunities for new jobs in the village and thereby motivate migrant youths returned home.
Activities
The following are the planned activities to be implemented in project location (see below map):Consultations and training for participating farmers on managing polyculture (biodiversity) agroforesty
systems and workshops for best practice biochar production and application in tree planting campaigns
Site design, on farm improvements, soil preparation and intercropping of legume trees and shrubs in theagroforestry system.
Socio-economic and species documentation survey, and GIS mapping
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Sourcing appropriate tree species, pit making and planting of disappeared species
Measuring and monitoring carbon stocks in agroforestry systems following established protocols fromcarbon certification bodies. Records integrated with GIS
Use of already installed essential oil distillation unit of Ratanpur
Producing essential oil from tree leaves, sourcing leaf drying and crushing equipment for Moringa leaf
production and packaging, collaboration with organic certification bodies to implement certified organic
practices on farm.
Marketing of organic products to major suppliers such as Lush (soap) and Yogi Tea, by the project .
Promotion of “fair trade” carbon offsets to environmentally friendly businesses and individuals in Europe
and carbon payment.
Regular stakeholder meetings to coordinate project activities (both online and face to face);
Dissemination activities (events, website creation, media articles)

Expected Outcomes Planting of at least 16,000 trees and NTFPs species on 20 ha private farm lands of at least 150 farmer
families and sequestration of at least 150 t CO2eq per year.
 Annual amendment of 75 t of biochar to the soil, to sequester around 200 t CO2eq annually.
 At least 50 additional Agroforestry plant species including timber and non-timber species restored andpreserved.
 At least 15 private agroforestry farms will be registered with DFO, Tanhu and start private forest business(selling cinnamon leaf essential oil)
 Installation of one innovative oil distillation unit powered by bioenergy and which produce biochar andstored hot water.
 Production of high value non-timber tree products e.g organic Cinnamon leaf oil and dried moringa leaf
for export to international vendors.
 On farm investments in water harvesting swales and dams, and biochar and organic fertilizer production
to make farms self-reliant for crucial nutrient and water supply.
 Establishment of a voluntary “fair trade carbon offset” program that makes possible long term financing
from richer countries for agroforestry land improvements in Nepal.

3Actors and task sharing
These activities will mainly be implemented by the Kathmandu Forestry College (KAFCOL) in collaboration with
the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC)/ District Forest Office, Tanahun and Ithaka Institute for
Climate Strategies Nepal. District Forest Office, Department of Forest under MOFSC, Nepal (IPSI Steering
Committee member) will provide a necessary role to implement private forest rules and regulation in support oflocal communities including tree saplings arrangement for forest gardening. The Ithaka Institute is a volunteer
climate farming private organization will be used in advancing forest garden design for increased carbon
capture, designing and implementing key product value adding technologies eg. biochar / essential oil
production equipment and communicating and marketing of fair trade carbon credit program in Europe and US.
Besides the other local forest user groups and women associations will be involved in participatory managementof forest gardens.
How the activity relates to the IPSI Strategy and IPSI Plan of Action
This project falls within three IPSI strategic objectives including 1-increase knowledge and understanding ofSEPL, 2- reduce direct loss of biodiversity and 3- enhance benefits from SEPLs. People will gain knowledge andwisdom on how to secure ecosystem services and value through various training on water harvesting swales anddams, and biochar and organic fertilizer production to make farms self-reliant for crucial nutrient and watersupply and ecosystem services under objective 1. Under objective 2, the agroforestry plantation will reduce thedirect pressures on BD and promote sustainable use and management of areas under agriculture and forestry,
and manage and use invasive alien species for making biochar based organic fertilizer. Restoration of previously
lost or disappeared agroforestry tree species will safeguard the ecosystems, which ultimately provide essentialservices; ecosystem resilience and contribution to carbon stock (objective 3).
Resources and funding
Funding source
Activities
Description of items

IthakaInstituteCo-financing
by KAFCOL

Total

Consultations and training forparticipating farmers on managing
polyculture (biodiversity) & carbon
credits

2 events of 3days each@ 500 USD/ day
including seniorresearchers' fee

1000

2000

3000

2.

Site design, on farm improvements andintercropping

USD 1000/season * 2
including researchers'
fee

01000

1000

3.

Socio-economic and species
documentation survey and GIS mapping

2 graduate students @500 USD/month

01000

1000

4.

Sourcing appropriate tree species andplanting of disappeared & high value
species saplings

16000 tree saplings

Seedling
free

800

800

3 persons mid career
staff for 5 days persite = one month

1000

500

1500

1.

5.

Measuring and monitoring carbon stocks
in agroforestry systems

46.

Buying plastic and irrigation pipe

Producing essential oil from tree leaves,sourcing leaf drying and crushingequipment for Moringa leaf production
and packaging
8. Marketing of organic products to major
suppliers such as Lush (soap) and Yogi
Tea, by project
9. Promotion of “fair trade” carbon offsets
to environmentally friendly businesses
and individuals for carbon payment inEurope.
10. Regular stakeholder meetings tocoordinate project activities (both online
and face to face);

Plastic and irrigation
pipe for 15 ponds/site@ 1500/site

1500

1500

3000

Renting equipment

0500500

packaging bottle etc

0500

500

14400 seedlings
produces approx 150 t
co2 @ USD 35/t

5250

05250

0100

10002000

2000

8750

9900

18650

7.

11. Dissemination activities (case study
paper, events, website creation, mediaarticles)

Two senior scientists@ USD 200/day for 10days each
Grand total

Monitoring and reporting
Joint monitoring will be done by Kathmandu Forestry College and Ithaka Institute Nepal in a quarterly basis. The
annual report will be submitted by KAFCOL to IPSI secretariat.

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