Established in 2008 and registered under the Department of Cooperatives, NACCFL serves as the umbrella organisation for Small Farmer Agricultural Cooperatives Limited (SFACL) and primary agricultural cooperatives across Nepal. Based in Lalitpur, the organisation provides financial and non-financial services to its members, promoting institutional and socio-economic development for smallholder farmers. NACCFL currently supports over 1,126 member organisations, representing approximately 1 million farmers, with 80% being women. 

Contact: Website

Strengthening Farmer Organisations and Facilitating Smallholder Access to Commercial Markets

The project with a combined budget of £309,571 ran from September 2022 to May 2025 and included a contribution from CASA of £145,809 for both technical assistance and grant support. 

The initial phase of the partnership focused on enhancing the capacity of 25 selected agricultural cooperatives in Provinces 2 and 5 to reduce post-harvest losses and improve vegetable sales. Phase II emphasised building the capacities of both NACCFL and the cooperatives to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices in response to the threats posed by climate change, as highlighted by the National Statistical Office’s 2022 National Climate Survey.

Although Phase II had a shortened timeline due to budget cuts, the project achieved critical milestones that laid a strong foundation for scaling climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and cooperative-led agribusiness. A major outcome was the development of a standardised Climate Change Adaptation Manual, now integrated into NACCFL’s training system as a long-term resource. Across both phases the project trained 19,829 smallholder farmers (73% women) and 53 trainers (88% women), ensuring the technical capacity for continued knowledge transfer. More importantly, trained farmers are currently applying CSA techniques to improve soil health, water use efficiency, and pest management – shifting from reactive to proactive climate adaptation – particularly where their increased production is absorbed into a secure market, thus providing the business incentive. At the same time, business plans developed for 12 larger agri-cooperatives are enabling them to engage banks and financial institutions with viable proposals, unlocking capital that was previously inaccessible. This integration of technical skills and financial access is strengthening the foundations for resilient, market-oriented agricultural systems. The outcomes contribute directly to Nepal’s Climate Change Policy (2019), Agriculture Development Strategy (2015-2035), and Nationally Determined Contributions, all of which prioritise CSA, institutional capacity-building, and finance access. Despite the constraints, the work accomplished in Phase II is a small but scalable step toward long-term transformation.

Updated: August 2025