Back to news

China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan Partners to Strengthen Sea Buckthorn Value Chain

Sea buckthorn is a high-altitude mountain niche product known for its ecological, nutritional, and economic benefits. Growing at elevations ranging from 4000 to 14,000 feet, the plant can withstand extreme temperatures of up to minus 40 degrees Celsius. The plant controls soil erosion, and its fruit, which is rich in Vitamin C, is known for its anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Sea buckthorn has high demand in the international market for use in food, medicine, and beauty products.

2 mins Read

70% Complete
Group discussion in progress. Photo by Anu Joshi Shrestha

Building on the successful experience of its pilot, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), through its Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (Himalica) initiative, is developing the sea buckthorn value chain in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan. The aim is to provide an alternative livelihood option for mountain women and men in the region. The value chain has the potential to be scaling up regionally as the multipurpose sea buckthorn plant is found across much of Hindu Kush Himalayan range.

With this view in mind, ICIMOD recently organised a workshop on strengthening the regional prospects of sea buckthorn value chains in Lanzhou, China, in partnership with Gansu Agriculture University.

By bringing country partners from China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan as well as the International Sea Buckthorn Association (ISA) under one platform, the workshop aimed to promote exchange of knowledge, technology, innovation, good practices, and experiences related to sea buckthorn value chain development, as well as explore regional collaboration and business-to-business linkages to evolve and sustain regional partnerships.

Exposure visits to Gansu University’s sea buckthorn lab, processing factory, and cultivation area were organized. The participants met with the Gansu county magistrate as well as eminent government and private sector organizations to discuss matters of policy and practices, including new product development and design, value addition, certification, labeling and packaging, and the business model.


Field visit to seabuckthorn cultivation area. Photo by Anu Joshi Shrestha

The Gansu Agriculture University China and the participants from India, Nepal, and Pakistan signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding for future collaboration. Collaborative efforts will be made in research and development on the development and commercialization of diverse value-added sea buckthorn products, and the development and transfer of appropriate harvesting and processing technologies, among others.

The idea of collaborating with ICIMOD to seek possible funding from sources such as the Chinese government was discussed, as was seeking membership of the ISA to strengthen sea buckthorn value chain at a regional scale.

Virendra Singh from the Agriculture University of Himachal Pradesh, India, thanked ICIMOD for bringing country partners from Nepal, India, and Pakistan to China to learn about the sea buckthorn value chain. Singh said, “We will look for further collaboration with Gansu University and ICIMOD to strengthen this value chain as we have done intensive research on sea buckthorn-based pharmaceuticals, and China has done good work in terms of cultivation, value addition, and commercialization.”

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

Linking Pilot Interventions to Policy Formulation

Large cardamom is a high value cash crop and a leading source of livelihood for a large number of people ...

26 May 2015 News
ICIMOD raises mountain issues at World Water Forum

The 7th World Water Forum was held from 12-17 April 2015 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, ...

Addressing water stress in Ramechhap

Ramechhap District in Nepal is plagued by acute water paucity. Desertification and haphazard development activities have caused traditional ponds and ...

21 Sep 2018 REDD+
ICIMOD supports Myanmar in drafting REDD + Action Plan for Shan State

Myanmar has the largest remaining forest area in Southeast Asia, with 44% of its land classified as forest, but it ...

8 Jul 2016 News
HIMAP Author Writeshop Held

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Monitoring and Assessment Program’s (HIMAP) Coordinating Lead Authors' Writeshop was organised by the International Centre for ...

Waste management, sustainable tourism, and the quest to become India’s cleanest village

With support from the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), ...

27 Jul 2018 DFAT Brahmaputra
Hydrogeological Model of Godavari Landscape to Support Spring Revival and Springshed Management

Springs are the source of water for millions of people in the mid-hills of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), but ...

14 Jun 2016 News
Mountain Research and Development, Vol 36, No 2, available Online and Open Access

In this Focus Issue, several papers address modernization and sustainable development, showing that development in mountains can take up positive ...