Empowering Rural Communities through Social Innovations: Social Innovation as a Design Tool in the Extension Approaches for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Nepal

This paper shows the role of social innovation as design tool in fostering sustainable development in rural Nepal. Country where two third of population are dependent on agriculture, different factor like low productivity, lack of infrastructure, climate change is being problematic. Traditional agriculture practices often lead to failure in achieving target in agriculture productivity. In counter to traditional methods, social innovation can lead farmers as empower products, through participatory approach creating co-creation by collaborating among the stakeholder. Various successful initiatives like mobile-based advisory services and farmers field school, have demonstrated effectiveness of integrating local knowledge into extension services. By utilizing community members in problem identification and solving activities, these innovations lead toward sustainable agriculture practices. Innovation also leads to acceptance of social aspects leading to the long-term solution of the problem alongside improvement in food security and rural livelihoods. Through the case study of organizations like Sustainable Agriculture Development Program (SADP), the research illustrates, how social innovation can lead to transformative changes within communities. Paper shows collaboration with different aspects, and utilizing expertise not only improves agricultural outcome but also strengthens community resilience against socio-economic challenges. Lastly, the paper advocates for a paradigm shift in agricultural extension strategies toward more inclusive and sustainable practices that empower rural communities in Nepal.