Farmers in Nepal routinely use chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilisers to boost agricultural production. In the short term, such chemical use and the simplification of agriculture to focus on the cultivation of select crops increase food and fibre production. However, agricultural systems built around chemical fertilisers and monocultures disrupt the natural balance of soil nutrients, ultimately leading to diminishing long-term productivity.

Such systems are also affected by fertiliser shortages and price volatility. Moreover, conventional agricultural practices, despite the high toll exerted on the environment, ecosystems, and society, are not the answer. Increased emphasis on a few crops has led to monocropping, loss of agrobiodiversity, homogenisation of agriculture, and degradation of the agroecosystem.