The international HimalAsia Foundation together with university research institutions, local community-based Tibetan cooperatives and a family of traditional medical practitioners have developed a sustainable programme for cultivating and marketing seabuckthorn and other medicinal plants for the local and international market, thereby improving livelihoods and safeguarding traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and the biodiversity of Nepal. Three seabuckthorn nurseries were established in 2003, in cooperation with two community-based cooperatives and a local Amchi clinic.

Seabuckthorn is a highly nutritious and versatile berry, containing vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids. Its berries produce nutrient rich juice and oil, and the leaves can be used for tea and traditional herbal remedies. Seabuckthorn plants are also known for their vigorous root growth, helping to mitigate problems of land degradation, desertification and soil erosion.

This partnership is developing a market in Nepal for seabuckthorn products, and it is hoped that the cooperatives will create small- and medium-sized enterprises to meet the domestic demand. International companies have shown considerable interest in buying seabuckthorn products from the local cooperatives, and the initiative will help broker fair business relationships between such companies and the local producers.