A List of Cultivated and Edible Wild Plants in Nepal

This book, consisting of 210 cultivated and 150 edible wild plants in Nepal, has been prepared with the help of agriculturists and farmers. The objectives of A List of Cultivated and Edible Wild Plants in Nepal is not only useful among the farmers but also for the rural/village based development workers like agriculture and agriculture-based experts, agriculture technicians, international/non-government organizations (I/NGOs) so as to harmonize language based mutual understanding.

It is misunderstood that the Nepali language as the National one is known to all, but in reality it is not like this. Nepal is a multi-linguistic country and there are many areas, many castes, and large age-differences, and as such many who don't understand the national language. This is found especially in farming communities. There are a lot of instances whereby the imported farming languages are difficult to be taught. This condition is not only realized by foreigners but also the tremendous difficulties felt by the large number of Nepalese themselves. Examples of such problematic situation was realized by one of the authors of A List of Cultivated and Edible Wild Plants in Nepal, Shimada, while talking with Nepalese farmers for the first time in 1962 and is still felt so. The promotion of Nepali language is increasing, along with the promotion of school education. But this situation applies only in urban market and public places. Nepali language still does not have its command in village, Janjaati/Aadiwaasi-families and especially in agriculture-based villages.

With the cooperation of the Government of Japan, after the initiation of the Janakpur Zone Agriculture Development Project (JADP) in 1972, the overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA) had first hand experience that problems faced by Japanese experts and Japanese volunteers were language barriers. Japanese experts and Japanese volunteers were really amazed/shocked by observing the use of English language related with the agricultural words as shared by the Nepalese agricultural experts while discussing with the farmers. This is due to unavailability of the knowledge concerning the English words to be translated into Nepali words.