SMALL-SCALE AQUACULTURE HELPS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION AND PROFIT OF RURAL COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY FROM NEPAL

Samantha D. Farquhar1, Nisha Khanal, Madhav K. Shrestha, Ram C. Bhujel, Matthew Farthing
1School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
University of Washington, 3710 Brooklyn Ave NE
Seattle, Washington 98195
samfarq@uw.edu
 

Subsistence farming system of crops and livestock is the mainstay for the rural communities in Nepal. Poverty associated with malnutrition is the major problem, especially among rural ethnic communities. Transformation of subsistence system into semi-commercial farming using profitable and innovative technologies is needed to combat household malnutrition and low economic opportunities. Aquaculture is becoming one of the most popular tools especially after the successful launching of small-scale aquaculture, which involved mainly ethnic women of the rural communities (Bhujel et al., 2008). However, how such aquaculture was improving the livelihoods of the rural community was not clear. Therefore, a household survey was conducted during January-April 2017 interviewing 71 women in Kathar village of Chitwan, Nepal to investigate the status and impacts of the aquaculture development project a decade after its completion. Results showed that households with fish farms earn a yearly additional income of $265 (40% of per capita income) and consumed approximately 46 kg more fish than non-fish farming households (Table 1). Additionally, women with fish farms reported feeling empowered and independent.