Agriculture is an energy management system that modern humans have domesticated other species of nature with. This relationship has evolved, modified and evolved over thousands of years in the local geography and environment.

This is how the traditional self-sustainable agriculture which is now known as self-sustaining agriculture has been progressing in our geography. In this sense, the agricultural system is advanced only if the local geography, environment and culture are suitable. But in the environment of interdependence that has increased with globalization, it cannot be advanced in its own way, and now hill agriculture is on a continuous downward journey. This means that the agriculture, environment and society of the mountains are in crisis of existence. 

Beginning only about 400 years ago, with the expansion of mechanized technology that developed in the plains, traditional agriculture around the world was displaced. Its most immediate impact was on the steep slopes of the mountains.

To know the difference between this matter, it is enough to look at the history of mountain agriculture in Europe and other so-called developed countries. On the strength of this mechanization technology, artificial chemicals, pesticides and sterile seeds added after the Second World War made the industrial agriculture pattern global in the name of Green Agricultural Revolution.

Traditional agricultural systems of all regions are greatly affected by this. Its greatest impact has been on low-income small-scale farmers like Nepal in low-lying areas, small valleys, valleys, dunes and very steep hilly terrains, fragmented and small-scale land holdings. 

To understand why this happened, first of all, one has to look at the geographical and ecological features of hill agriculture. There is a great difference in the geographical and ecological characteristics of plain and hill watersheds. Along with this difference, the fundamental basis of life is the cyclic interrelationship of the living soil, water, air, solar energy and sky, and the nutrient cycle that emanates from it, are all different.

The surface soil of the mountain is thin. Such surfaces also differ in the cyclical interdependence of water, minerals, and nutrients available to plants. Water sources come from mountain re-storage and root circulation, while mineral sources and nutrients are available from other biological processes on the surface. 

Forests and animals are important aspects of localized hill agriculture. Without these especially surface water is always traveling downhill. As the green surface that balances its motion becomes desolate, it takes the surface soil with it. In this sense, conservation of site-specific forests and biodiversity in the mountains is important. That is why our ancestors adopted an integrated system of agroforestry. 

Now with the addition of the climate crisis, the essence of the disturbance in its balance has been more exposed. Mainly, both too much and too little water make a big difference in the existence of hill farming systems and living surface soils. Now the fertile soil of the hill has been washed away with the water. If you can't handle it, you can't save the youth of the mountains. 

Another thing, biodiversity in the mountains is concentrated in a much smaller area than in the plains. Such is the natural geological diversity of the hills. The direction of the hill, the height, the specific location of the rocks and the thin subsurface minerals further increase this diversity.

For example, a single mountain has at least 3 different biomes. It is not only the difference in crop and commodity species but also the seasonal production cycle and productivity, production quantity and quantity. 

Based on these and similar different characteristics, the local farming system of the hills has been developed at the local level. In all of these, advanced technologies are adopted in their own environment. In order to protect the fertile soil and water of the mountains that always flow downwards, local agricultural techniques, tools and methods including soil conservation (Gara), water storage (Pokhri, Kulo) and integrated agroforestry system have been adopted. Similarly, its 6 directions (East, West, North, South, Down and Up) have been assimilated into the hill farming system.

So we have 6 seasons. Seasonal crop and commodity management calendar is based on this. The ancestors who assimilated all these things created a diverse agricultural and food culture in the mountains. There are diverse food culture calendars and festivals based on the food of a particular place. From this, it is clear that the characteristic of the hill and its different surroundings are different from the characteristics of the plain. 

Even our geographical environment is different compared to other countries. For example, about one-third of the land is in dry farming systems and more than half of the agricultural land is dependent on rainwater for cultivation. Similarly, there is a difference in the political and social environment. We are between the second and fourth largest agricultural economies.

Our basically hilly agriculture cannot be competitive by farming like them in the current agricultural economy framework. Without the thought of improving the agricultural system of local characteristics in such hilly areas, our agriculture is on the journey of continuous migration. The result is before us all.

The water of the mountains is causing strife and the youth of the mountains and the society is being destroyed. Energetic farmers are forced into the Gulf. On the other hand, farmlands are forested, agricultural land is barren, the Bay of Bengal has receded, never to return fertile topsoil. Its greatest impact has been on agriculture in the very steep hills, which account for about 80 percent. Now more than half of the population, 20 percent have migrated in search of livelihood in Terai. 

Lahad is responsible for replicating the samp/plain agriculture system in a steep mountain watershed like ours. Especially, this situation has come about by ignoring the reality of geological, environmental, economic, social and cultural features of the mountains which are constantly changing. One of the important reasons for the decline of our agriculture is the industrial development dream of high investment intensive farming system which is impossible in a basically hilly country with such characteristics.

This is now adding to the crisis in all dimensions of life. The root cause of all these crises is the future-oriented approach of agricultural development that has not been able to grasp the reality of our specialty. Our agriculture will not be saved if we don't understand and practice the pattern and practice of agricultural development. 

Ironically, there has not been any meaningful debate regarding the agricultural characteristics of these hills. Donors and projects that have been calling for mountain development from the international organizations for the development of integrated mountains, instead of imbibing the characteristics of our mountain agriculture, on the contrary, they are making it more destructive by putting forward the approach, strategies and plans of the agricultural development of the plains. 

This is evident not only in the current policies, strategies, plans and programs but also in the results of their implementation. None of these documents seem to understand that the Raithane agricultural system developed based on the characteristics of Nepal's geographical and environmental conditions, productive surface soil and biological processes in it cannot compete with other flat plain agricultural systems in terms of its production process, productivity and results (commercial).

In the meantime, whatever efforts have been made for the development of agriculture in the hills have proved to be a storm on the one hand and a windfall on the other. This is because the tillage/plain industrial agriculture is a single formula, presenting the features based on the diversity of the hills as weaknesses. Agriculture in this country will not be advanced without realizing this.

Hundreds of drafts of agricultural development policies and plans are prepared every year without reference to our agricultural specialty. Such policies and plans for agricultural development, which are made in lahad around vested interests, do not even have a mutual understanding. Currently, the draft of the federal agricultural law, the mid-term review of the 20-year agricultural development strategy, the amendment and the review document of the agricultural policy 2061 are emphasized in the promotion of industrial agriculture.