Among the primary needs of the central Himalayan region is a sustainable agriculture that will increase farmers' income through agricultural diversification while conserving biodiversity and achieving food self-sufficiency. The danger of losing a rich biodiversity has been realized and has been high on policy and research agendas for some time. However, much remains to be done to protect central Himalayan agro-biodiversity. This article describes the current status of agro-food cultivation in central Himalaya and examines the constraints and opportunities for the further development of the traditional agro-food cultivation involving resource-poor farmers.
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