Himalayan Indigenous Forum
A Davos for the indigenous Himalayan economy.
HIPO is establishing the Himalayan Indigenous Forum (HIF) — an annual convening, inspired by the World Economic Forum, that puts indigenous producers in the same room as the people who shape their markets.
Why a forum
Infrastructure needs advocacy to matter.
A mark and a traceability system change what a product can prove. They do not, by themselves, change the policy environment it operates in, the buyers who source it, or the research and capital available to the communities that make it.
That requires a standing platform — one that returns every year, builds relationships over time, and gives the indigenous Himalayan economy a place where its agenda is the agenda rather than a side session.
Who convenes
Six constituencies, one table.
Producers
Indigenous producers, collectives and community enterprises from across the Himalayan region — the constituency the Forum exists to serve.
Policymakers
Those shaping rules on indigenous products, knowledge protection, market access and regional development.
Markets
Buyers, retailers and distributors who determine how indigenous products reach consumers and on what terms.
Investors
Capital that can back producer infrastructure, packaging, aggregation and enterprise growth in the region.
Researchers
Scholars and institutions working on Himalayan ecology, traditional knowledge systems and rural economies.
Media
Writers and broadcasters who can carry the story of indigenous Himalayan products to a far wider audience.
What HIF is for
Advocacy, market access and community — every year, in the same place.
- Advocate for Himalayan and indigenous products with the institutions that shape their markets.
- Bring producers into direct contact with buyers, funders and policymakers.
- Surface research on indigenous knowledge systems, ecology and regional economies.
- Build a durable community around indigenous Himalayan economies.
- Hold the sector’s agenda in public view rather than letting it disperse between events.
Status
The inaugural edition is in planning.
Dates, location, format and programme for the first Himalayan Indigenous Forum are being developed alongside HIPO’s founding partners.
If you would like to be notified when the first edition opens — or you are a producer organisation, institution, funder or publication interested in taking part — register your interest and we will be in touch as plans firm up.
Get involved
Bring your constituency to the table.
The Forum is being built with its participants, not for them. Early conversations shape the first agenda.