Biotrade and Green Economy Week in Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal, 31 May - 4 June 2011

As part of the Capacity Building for Biotrade project (CBBT), a Biotrade and Green Economy week is being organized in Kathmandu. The events are part of a bigger project that is being implemented in Namibia, Nepal and Peru. The series of events during the Biotrade week will bring together representatives from the public, private and development sectors to discuss the potential benefits of promoting and investing in sustainable trade in biodiversity based products and transitioning to a greener economy in Nepal.

Worldwide, the supply has often failed to keep up with the rising demand for products based on biodiversity such as natural cosmetics, medicines, food and food ingredients. For example, global sales of natural and organic cosmetics are increasing over $1 billion a year, with European and North American markets heading the international demand. These trends have created a unique development and export opportunities for countries that are gifted with biodiversity and genetic resources.

Nepal is endowed with abundant biodiversity and natural resources but it ranks among the world's poorest countries, with a per capita income of around $427 in 2009. The country’s national economy and well being of its people heavily depend on the sustainable use of these resources. Agriculture remains Nepal's principal economic activity, employing over 73% of the population and providing 34% of GDP.

Investments and policy reforms to maintain and expand the natural capital of Nepal and process it into value added products could put the country on pathway of sustainable development, poverty reduction and a green economy.

During the Biotrade and Green Economy week, events will be organized to share information about volume and value of Nepal’s trade in biodiversity products, number of poor people who drive livelihoods from this sector, what are the international trends in biotrade and how the sector could catalyze an export driven economic development that integrated small collectors, processors and producers of biodiversity products into global supply chains.

Preliminary Agenda
The events during the week will include:
1. A national workshop on “Biotrade: A business opportunity with export, poverty reduction and conservation benefits”.
2. A panel discussion on “Biotrade: A Business Perspective”.
3. A symposium on “Aid for Biotrade and Green Economy: discussion with Bilateral and Multilateral Development Partners”.
4. A consultation with high-level decision-makers from public and private sector on “Role of Biodiversity in Investments, Exports and Poverty Reduction, and
5. A Public and Media Forum on Biotrade and Green Economy .

Documents and Presentations

	Title	Author	File
	Description	.
	Agenda	Secretariat
	Day 1, 31st May 2011	.
	2011 Biotrade and Green Economy: A Business Opportunity with Export, Poverty Reduction and Conservation BenefitsIn Collaboration with ICIMOD	Asad Naqvi, UNEP
	Biotrade. Potential for Economic Growth, Export Promotion, Conservation and Poverty Alleviation	Pierre du Plessis, ICIMOD
	BioTrade: A Catalyst for Transitioning to a Green Economy. Country study for Namibia	Konrad Uebelhör, MET/GIZ Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management Project
	NTIS 2010 and biodiversity-based products	Puspa Sharma, Sawtee
	Exploiting the potential of Biotrade in Peru for a transition to a Green Economy	Yovita Ivanova, ProNaturaleza
	Day 2, 1st June 2011	.
	Biotrade Promotion Program. Peru	Prom Peru
	Role of Policies, NTIS010 as a Tool Promoting Bio trade in Peru	Jib Koirala. Minstry of Commerce and Supplies, Nepal
	Biotrade in Nepal: Challenges at National Level	Himadri Palikhe, GIZ
	Business and the Nagoya Protocol on ABS: linking profits and sustainability	Pierre du Plessis, ICIMOD
	Indigenous Plants, Private-sector Partners:Lessons from Namibia	Pierre du Plessis, ICIMOD
	Capacity Building for Bio Trade(CBBT) Project in Nepal: Activities and Lessons Learnt	Himadri Palikhe, GIZ
	Bio-trade and green economy: a business perspective	Pradip Maharjan, FNCCI
	Inspiriting Stories of Successful Biotrade: The case of Tara in Peru	Luis Rosa Pérez, GIZ Perú
	The North American Market For Natural Products	Alexander Kasterine & Kerry Hughes, ITC
	Fashion and Cosmetic Biodiversity Platform	BioTrade Initiative, UNCTAD
	Day 3, 2nd June 2011	.
	Biotrade Promotion Program	Guadalupe Amésquita, Prom Peru
	Biodiversity for Sustainable Development: Opportunities in ABS, PES, REDD+ and International Trade	Pierre du Plessis, ICIMOD
	Role of Community Forestry Users Groups in Promoting Biotradein Nepal (Community-based Forest Enterprise)	DilRaj Khanal, FECOFUN
	Namibia’s CBNRM Programme	CBNRM
	Peru Biodiverso	Luis Rosa Pérez, GIZ Perú
	Role of Media in promoting Biotrade and Green Economy	Sushil Mainali, NEFEJ
	Day 4, 3rd June 2011
	Green Aspects ofNepal Trade Integration Strategy 2010 (NTIS 2010)	Shiv Raj Bhatt, Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Nepal
	Key recommendations	Anu Joshi Shrestha, ICIMOD
	Harnessing the Potentials of Biotradefor Transitioning to a Green Economy:A Country Study for Nepal	Anu Joshi Shrestha, ICIMOD

Coordinators