Nepal/UK Oil Seed Project - Gender and Development

Objectives.

To work with the Women's Development Section of the Ministry of Local Development in Tanuhun District, Nepal with the long-term objectives of promoting economic empowerment, improvements in health and agricultural production and reductions in the drudgery of the poorest women in the District.

To provide 'hands-on action training' in the propagation, establishment and cultivation of an additional 120,000 oil-bearing plants (Jatropha curcas L.) on marginal lands, in harvesting of seeds from mature plants in the District and in post-harvest processing of seeds.
To identify other suitable marginal lands in the District for future cultivation programmes.
To demonstrate oil expelling techniques.
To demonstrate end uses for the oil as a fuel for cooking, illumination and agro-processing and in soap making.
To demonstrate end uses for process by-products such as organic fertiliser.
To encourage and facilitate the marketing of the seeds and oil and soap and other by-products.
To produce promotional material regarding the above in flip chart and cartoon format.

Outputs.

A working knowledge in propagation and cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest processing which together with the identification of marginal lands in the wider District will facilitate the future establishment of additional plantations and effective harvesting of existing resources.
A familiarity with oil expelling techniques and end uses for the oil and process by-products with a view to evaluating the potential benefits to health, economic empowerment and work load and the provision of their own machinery based on the available resources and the marketing opportunities for the oil and processing by-products.
Promotion of long term income generation. It is expected that after 5 years yields will rise to at least 180 tonnes of seeds per annum and may be as high as 360 tonnes.
Provision of employment in management, training, propagation, cultivation, seed collection and site maintenance.
Demand for oil expelling and related machinery from local manufacturers. Processing will eventually require the dedicated services of at least one oil expeller and related machinery which could be purchased from the earnings from the resale of the oil.
The establishment of 120,000 plants represents the reclamation of circa. 20 ha of marginal lands. Improvements in soil quality are to be expected from the deposition of organic detritus from the plants and the application of organic manures and the greenery will be enhanced in the local area.
Mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. As well as yielding a high-grade carbon dioxide neutral fuel, atmospheric carbon will be sequestered and stored in the woody stems and root systems of the plants (a 'carbon sink').



Introduction. There are potentially large impacts on the well being of women in rural communities from the use of a clean renewable fuel for cooking and lighting as virtually all energy in Nepal is traditional biomass, consumed in the domestic sphere and its collection and use is for the most part managed by women. There is potential to improve respiratory and eye health and reduce the drudgery associated with solid fuel collection and utensil cleaning. We have also demonstrated the potential for income generation involving hundreds of women so far in seed harvesting and are currently exploring the use or resale of the oil by these women for soap making. This initiative is oriented specifically towards the welfare and economic empowerment of women. It is intended to provide 'hands-on action training' in the establishment and cultivation of 120,000 perennial oil-bearing plants (Jatropha curcas L.) on marginal lands at the site of the nation's first and only oil seed energy plantation in Tanuhun District. The initiative will provide long term income generation for women in the District through ownership of the yield; there is provision for related processing machinery and for the marketing of seeds, oil, fuel, soap and other by-products. This initiative has evolved out of an existing link with the Women's Development Section of the Ministry for Local Government in Tanuhun District with whom we have been working for some time in seed harvesting and other promotional work. During this period, the Section has expressed a keen interest in, and has requested assistance for, the cultivation of oil-bearing plants, the acquisition of an oil expeller, the marketing of the oil and other processing by-products as well as facilitating dissemination through workshops and the production of promotional material etc. to a wider scale throughout the District.	Agro-Processing Agro-Processing
Objectives. To work with the Women's Development Section of the Ministry of Local Development in Tanuhun District, Nepal with the long-term objectives of promoting economic empowerment, improvements in health and agricultural production and reductions in the drudgery of the poorest women in the District. To provide 'hands-on action training' in the propagation, establishment and cultivation of an additional 120,000 oil-bearing plants (Jatropha curcas L.) on marginal lands, in harvesting of seeds from mature plants in the District and in post-harvest processing of seeds. To identify other suitable marginal lands in the District for future cultivation programmes. To demonstrate oil expelling techniques. To demonstrate end uses for the oil as a fuel for cooking, illumination and agro-processing and in soap making. To demonstrate end uses for process by-products such as organic fertiliser. To encourage and facilitate the marketing of the seeds and oil and soap and other by-products. To produce promotional material regarding the above in flip chart and cartoon format. Outputs. A working knowledge in propagation and cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest processing which together with the identification of marginal lands in the wider District will facilitate the future establishment of additional plantations and effective harvesting of existing resources. A familiarity with oil expelling techniques and end uses for the oil and process by-products with a view to evaluating the potential benefits to health, economic empowerment and work load and the provision of their own machinery based on the available resources and the marketing opportunities for the oil and processing by-products. Promotion of long term income generation. It is expected that after 5 years yields will rise to at least 180 tonnes of seeds per annum and may be as high as 360 tonnes. Provision of employment in management, training, propagation, cultivation, seed collection and site maintenance. Demand for oil expelling and related machinery from local manufacturers. Processing will eventually require the dedicated services of at least one oil expeller and related machinery which could be purchased from the earnings from the resale of the oil. The establishment of 120,000 plants represents the reclamation of circa. 20 ha of marginal lands. Improvements in soil quality are to be expected from the deposition of organic detritus from the plants and the application of organic manures and the greenery will be enhanced in the local area. Mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. As well as yielding a high-grade carbon dioxide neutral fuel, atmospheric carbon will be sequestered and stored in the woody stems and root systems of the plants (a 'carbon sink').
{Home} {Project Background} {Project Activities} {Gender Development} {Media/Publications/Theses}