Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development

Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), a non­governmental organization established in 1995 committed to improve the livelihoods of resource poor people of Nepal through sustainable management of natural resources and enabling policy environment. LI-BIRD works with and empowers poor and marginalized people for their well-being through strengthening capacity of people and local institutions for improved access to resources and services; ensuring equity and social justice; promoting local innovations; managing biodiversity and ecosystem services; generating and sharing knowledge; forging local, national and international alliances and partnerships; and engaging in influencing and changing policy decisions at all levels. LI-BIRD has been working with a wide range of partners from farming communities to national research and development organizations and international research centers as farmers' communities and community organizations; non-governmental organizations; private entrepreneurs, academic institutions, government research and development organizations. LI-BIRD has been pioneer in developing and institutionalizing participatory crop improvement methods, such as participatory plant breeding, and participatory variety selection, community-based seed production (CBSP); community-based in-situ on-farm conservation and management of agro-biodiversity — linking biodiversity with livelihoods. LI-BIRD has been working on and contributing to the formulation of several policy and legal instruments related to the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in agriculture. LI-BIRD also seeks ways to support policy and legal instruments for promotion of safe and quality food addressing bio-safety issues arising from the use of biotechnology. LI-BIRD has experience and expertise in evidence-based policy research and advocacy, and policy formulation, for example formulation of Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Policy and drafting of Plant Variety Protection and Farmers’ Rights (PVP&FR) Bill.