Six out of every ten Nepalis work in the agricultural sector, growing products from cardamom to coffee to tea. Their efforts are playing a major role in the South
Asian nation’s economy, bringing in one-quarter of its gross domestic product.
Historically, however, Nepal’s smaller businesses, especially those working in agroprocessing, have faced a tough road when it comes to getting the finance they
need to grow, including for adopting greener production practices. Even directives from Nepal’s central bank that require commercial banks to grant 15% of all loans to commercial farms by end-2023 have not translated to better financing for smaller processors in practice.