The Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) is a non-profit, non-political, and non-government organization established in April 23, 1991. It is registered at the District Administration Office, Lalitpur and has affiliation with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal. The Center is a value - based organization committed to human centered sustainable development.

There is a growing realization now that development is a human and internal process and has its roots on peoples' initiatives and preparedness for change. Past experiences from different sectors have proved that no development can sustain if people do not own the process and that even with prohibitively high cost of implementation, government efforts alone may not yield any fruitful results if people do not participate in the process. Since people are both the means and the end of development, any development to have a lasting impact on peoples' lives must be demand-driven, responsive to local needs and sustainable through local knowledge and resources. In the present context of Nepal, the above argument would mean that development efforts must be directed towards mobilizing and empowering the local community. This will enable the community to demand for better services and improve the government delivery system. This assumes the need for more effective partnership between the people and the government in the process of development. Eventually, this will lead to mutual empowerment, that is, people are empowered and the government becomes efficient and responsive to the needs of the people.

VISION
High, inclusive and sustainable rural and agricultural growth contributing to poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement of the poor in Nepal

MISSION
Widen improved, sustainable livelihood options for poor and disadvantaged communities in a gender-sensitive and environment-friendly manner

OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of CEAPRED is to reduce poverty, enhance food security, and empower women, deprived and disadvantaged communities of Nepal. The specific objectives are:

• To promote commercial high-value agriculture, livestock and agro-processing activities based on local comparative advantages,
• To introduce production technologies that safeguard human health and environment,
• To design and deliver specialized package of development services to ensure active participation, decision-making and benefit sharing by the deprived and disadvantaged groups, and
• To organize, train and institutionalize local community groups so that development is locally owned, managed and sustained.

TARGET BENIFICARIES
Primary beneficiaries include disadvantaged and marginalized communities, especially women, dalits and minority ethnic groups. The secondary beneficiaries consist of private sector organizations and business communities engaged in value chain; and local NGOs, CBOs, cooperatives and other types of community groups that can serve as conduits for development service delivery at the local level.