CIFOR-ICRAF has worked in Nepal since 2014, with the ultimate goal of addressing persistent problems such as malnutrition, poverty and low overall farm productivity. One of CIFOR-ICRAF’s landmark contributions was supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Forests and Environment to develop the National Agroforestry Policy of Nepal, released in 2019, which represents the second such policy in the world. Currently, CIFOR-ICRAF is strengthening its partnership with the government to support the country’s efforts to build an integrated and well-coordinated agroforestry programme. Since 2016, CIFOR-ICRAF has collaborated with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). Other research areas include tenure reform, community forestry and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).

On 30 January 2025, CIFOR-ICRAF and the Government of Nepal strengthened their partnership to advance sustainable agriculture and forestry through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU with Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) represents a significant milestone in advancing Nepal’s broader goals on sustainable agroforestry, livelihood improvement and natural resource management through innovative research.