Sustainable mountain agriculture through integrated and science-based watershed management: A case study

Agriculture in mountain areas is essential for the world’s food security. Mountains account for one quarter of the world’s land surface and are home to 12 percent of its population. More vitally, 50 percent of the world’s population depend on the water and ecosystem services that mountains provide. Mountain areas are characterized by topography of variable altitudes and variable climatic conditions and so are major reservoirs of global biodiversity. Mountain ecosystems are largely fragile and rainfed, and are a high-risk environment throughout the year. Mountain systems are extremely vulnerable to climate variability and the implications of climate change. People who live in mountain regions are often amongst the poorest and most food insecure people in the world due to the harsh conditions of the terrain, poor infrastructure development, lack of services and general isolation. However, mountain regions are increasingly popular tourist destinations worldwide attracting over 50 million visitors annually which can provide the opportunity to popularise FSF and also create additional income for the locals. Achieving Zero Hunger for a world population that is expected to pass the 9 billion mark by 2050 is a major challenge. Moreover, ensuring that nutrition is balanced is also important, especially when both malnutrition and obesity are growing concerns globally as a result of poor or unhealthy diets..