Nepal’s Quest for Zero Hunger, Economic Prosperity and Decent Livelihoods: Dissemination Event on the Latest Evidence

On Friday, November 7, 2025, Nepal Development Research Institute, in collaboration with the Policy Research Institute, the official think tank of the Government of Nepal, successfully organised a special event on Nepal’s Quest for Zero Hunger, Economic Prosperity and Decent Livelihoods: Dissemination Event on the Latest Evidence at Hotel Himalaya, Lalitpur. The event was part of both institutes’ drive towards shaping policies through evidence for the overall well-being and prosperity of the country. The event had a wide range of participants, including high-level government officials, officials from development partners, research institutions, universities, academia, and civil society organisations. Dr. Madan Pariyar, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), was the Chief Guest on the occasion. FAO Representative in Nepal Mr. Ken Shimizu, WFP Nepal Country Director and Representative Mr. Riaz Lodhi, and Former UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Bishow Parajuli were also part of the special event.  
The event marked the successful completion and dissemination of two key research initiatives NDRI has been undertaking over the past several months. The report on Zero Hunger, titled Nepal’s Journey Towards Zero Hunger: The Triple Challenge of Food Security, Food Self-Sufficiency, and Economic Prosperity, published in partnership with PRI, analyses and synthesises existing national and international data on food security and hunger in Nepal. Drawing from diverse sources, the report provides a comprehensive assessment of the current situation and trends, identifying key gaps and challenges. It also offers actionable insights and strategic recommendations to strengthen Nepal’s food security agenda and advance its commitment to ending hunger and attaining food self-sufficiency by 2030. The Migration Atlas of Nepal, prepared with support from AWO International, maps where, how, and why different people move, revealing the links between migration, livelihoods, and socioeconomic conditions across the country. The two publications were unveiled and launched by the special guests at the event.  
The event started with a traditional lighting of the lamp ceremony by Dr. Pariyar. Dr. Shikha Thapa Magar, Executive Director of NDRI, provided the opening welcome remarks, highlighting the contributions of the research community in delivering timely policy measures that address the country’s prevailing issues of food security and large-scale out-migration. This was followed by two presentations on Nepal’s journey towards Zero Hunger and Nepal’s migration patterns. The presentations were led by the study coordinator of both publications, Dr. Krishna Pahari, while Research Associate Mr. Daya Shrestha provided a summary on how spatially diverse evidence generated by the Atlas can be tailored towards more nuanced and in-depth studies and analyses. After that, Mr. Shimizu, Mr. Lodhi, and Mr. Parajuli delivered poignant remarks, expressing the challenges Nepal’s agriculture sector faces and reaffirming their organisations’ roles in tackling the issues of food insecurity and self-sufficiency in Nepal. The Honourable Minister Dr. Pariyar praised the two research initiatives and noted that the evidence presented through these studies provides an important basis for assessing progress, identifying gaps, and charting the way forward. He reaffirmed that it is unacceptable for Nepal to remain food-deficient despite the large share of its population engaged in farming, and expressed his full commitment, as minister of MoALD, to achieving Zero Hunger and national food self-sufficiency. Executive Chairperson of PRI Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma concluded the unveiling event with an emphasis on the role of timely, evidence-driven research in shaping necessary policies and government action. 
The second part of the event was a lively and informative panel discussion on how the country moves forward in the context of attaining zero hunger, economic prosperity, and decent livelihoods in the context of Nepal’s continued youth exodus and the shrinking agricultural labour force. Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Dr. Krishna Hari Pushkar, and Joint Secretary at the MoALD provide perspectives on the government’s efforts in ensuring desirable working opportunities within the country and generating rewarding agricultural outcomes. Manushi Yami Bhattarai highlighted the role of young leaders in the country’s reshaped political landscape and how there is a strong sense of disconnect between what the public wants and what the government is providing. Dr. Anima Maharjan, Senior Livelihood and Migration Specialist at ICIMOD, shed light on the role of the research community in bridging that disconnect while ensuring that research outcomes are shared in an accessible and relevant manner in order to shape policies. Mr. Parajuli urged greater reliance on the government’s budget allocations to make progress on the issues of agricultural output and capital investment, rather than relying on foreign assistance, especially in the current context of a shrinking development assistance landscape. Prof. Dr. Punya Prasad Regmi, Senior Research Specialist at NDRI, moderated the session. Prof. Dr. Sharma provided the closing remarks, summing up the panel discussion with a call for stronger collaboration between various sectors for timely policy reforms. 

The two publications are available as an online document on NDRI’s website and as a physical copy in NDRI’s library. The report on Nepal’s Journey towards Zero Hunger can be found here, while the Migration Atlas of Nepal can be found here. Printed versions of both publications are also available upon request. 

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Media Coverage: https://globalpana.com/posts/9564