Slash and burn agriculture practiced by the indigenous Chepang and Tamangs in north western Makawanpur district has yielded serious consequences on the natural habitat and livelihood of the people. A baseline survey carried out by a Non Governmental Organization named Manahari Development Institute Nepal (MDI) during 2012 has revealed that majority of the households at north western Makawanpur district are poor and marginalized. However, the survey has identified several village Development Committees where the poorest of poor people live. Among them Handikhola VDC identified as poverty hot spot areas where the entire settlement is under threat. A total number of 3155 households reside in this VDC among which 71% households belong to ethnic cast who are very poor, marginalized and neglected. Furthermore, the proposed VDC also lies in the buffer zone of Parsa Wildlife Reserve, which means numbers of flora and fauna is under the protection.

After the extension of road facilities, vegetable farming has been flourishing. The survey also has recommended that Handhikhola VDC can be developed as a fruit and vegetable production pockets. Project intervention on vegetable production will support farmer?s efforts on agricultural biodiversity and genetic resources conservation and diversification in farming practices in the target landscape. It is common that at households' level, farmers have been growing, maintaining and conservation native plant genetic resources for food especially of cereals, legumes and vegetable.

This proposed program aim to create balance and harmony between envisaged project activities and existing agricultural biodiversity/genetic resource management and utilization for the well being of the native farming families in Handikhola.