Learning from the Past in the Transition to Open-Pollinated Varieties

In Nepal, hybrid seed introduction caused major yield gains in agricultural production, but at high environmental costs. The development of high-yielding open-pollinated varieties has spurred hope for more sustainable production systems. Nepal’s government is interested in boosting their use. This research aimed to identify farmer perceptions on the factors behind the past adoption of hybrid seeds in order to propose guidelines to support the diffusion of open-pollinated varieties. Using in-depth interviews, a focus group and participant observation we explored how the process of hybrid seed diffusion has taken place in Panchkhal valley, a representative case study. Social influencers such as change agents, peers, neighbours and seed sellers, as well as economic gains emerged as major reasons for hybrid seed adoption. We learnt that the role of external agents, on which most of the governmental strategies rely, changed over time as peer-based strategies became essential after the diffusion process started. To boost the adoption of open-pollinated seeds, efforts should concentrate in developing high-yielding varieties, engaging early-adopters among influential caste members and seed sellers, distributing seeds to both disadvantaged and wealthy farmers, and using different instruments, from institutional agencies to NGOs, to deliver training on sustainable farming techniques and their economic and environmental advantages.