Our Economic Development program is a backbone of our approach “Biodiversity conservation and economic development through community based enterprise oriented solutions. We believe in economic incentives as the driving force for the conservation of biodiversity by rural communities and therefore the program focus on Enterprise planning and development (Poor and women focused micro and small enterprises, value added processing and marketing enterprises, and national enterprises); Value Chain promotion and its subsequent market linkage; Product Certification; Business Development Services; and Marketing Information Systems.

ANSAB introduced the community based enterprise development models in 1995, which now has been established as an exemplary models for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement of the rural communities.

ANSAB uses value chain analysis tool to develop a complete understanding of relevant sub sectors and their constraints and opportunities. Interventions are facilitated through business development services provisions (BDS approaches) for enterprise development and livelihood improvement of rural poor communities of to achieve sustainable growth and long term impact. In the Himalayan and Terai regions of Nepal, ANSAB has made strategic interventions in natural products based enterprises to enhance the local livelihood opportunities thereby creating economic incentives for conservation. ANSAB has developed exceptional community enterprise models and some enterprises are established as exemplary enterprises across the globe. ANSAB is enhancing community enterprise model by transforming community forest institution into an enterprise entity and improving access of enterprise development services up to the poorest of the poor in the communities.

Marketing Information Services

 Developed through multi stakeholders’ interactions and facilitated by ANSAB, this service collects, analyzes and disseminates marketing info rmation on various NTFPs and high value crops to collectors, local traders, entrepreneurs and development facilitators. ANSAB has established and strengthened regional and district market info rmation sub-centers that use a network of over one hundred facilitating organizations to provide market info rmation services from markets in Nepal and India.