Abstract |
The shelves of local shops are fi lled with an abundance of imported beverages. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite, Frooti, and Red Bull among others have made the way to rural Nepal, where agriculture is still the primary source of income. As the result of increasing access to imported goods and products in rural markets, local products are gradually losing ground. This paper shows that tailored consumer education can assist de-cocacolising the market and increase the competitiveness and diversifi cation of local products. It does so by imparting knowledge and skills to individuals to be critical and responsible consumers who start seeking an equal share of local products in the rural market. For this paper, extensive desk review, rural market observations and interviews with consumers of different age groups, vendors and youth wereused as data generation techniques. |