사진 출처: https://blog.naver.com/imga114/220378199544

Pig farmers in Nepal face severe challenges, compounded by both environmental and economic issues. Research shows that around 73% of pigs in Nepal are raised in unhygienic, open-range systems. In regions like the Terai, about 80% of pig farms lack proper sanitation facilities, which creates significant risks to both public health and farm operations. These poor conditions make it difficult for farmers to maintain healthy livestock and run profitable operations.

Additionally, Nepal’s agricultural sector suffers from an unfair distribution system. Many farmers are forced to sell their pigs at low prices to middlemen due to a lack of access to fair markets. This leaves farmers with insufficient income, making it difficult to invest in their farms or plan for the future. The challenging working conditions have led many young people to abandon farming altogether, as the work is often seen as undervalued and unsustainable.

Source: https://blog.naver.com/rladpwls463/223113968313

That vision began to take shape during Dil Bahadur Tamang’s ten years in South Korea, from 2009 to 2019. There, he worked at a meat shop and learned everything from pork cutting to hygiene and customer service. The shop was clean, efficient, and respectful to both customers and suppliers, a complete contrast to what he had seen growing up in Nepal. That experience didn’t just give him new skills; it gave him a mission: What if Nepal had a meat system that was just as clean and fair?

When Dil returned to Nepal in 2019, he visited local meat markets and saw the same problems that had persisted for years. Most shops were still unhygienic, and customers didn’t trust the meat they were buying. Pig farms had no stable buyers and were often underpaid. That’s when Dil realized: to change this, he’d have to build the solution himself.

In 2021, Dil founded Hankook Meat Shop in Kathmandu. His goal was clear: to bring the Korean-style hygiene, quality, and service he had experienced to the Nepali meat industry. He wanted to create a space where pig farms could sell directly, without middlemen, and customers could buy fresh, clean meat with confidence. The shop started small, but it was built with a big idea: changing the way meat is produced, sold, and respected in Nepal.

Hankook Meat Shop is more than just a place to buy meat; it’s a new model for how farming and food can work together fairly. The shop sources pork and chicken directly from 10 small-scale pig farms in Chitwan, Dhading, and Kaski. By cutting out the middlemen, it ensures that farmers receive fair, stable prices and that customers get meat that is fresh, hygienic, and trustworthy. Dil has brought the hygiene practices and customer service he learned in Korea into every part of the business—from equipment to packaging to how staff treat customers.

The impact is already visible. Farmers now have a consistent buyer, which helps them plan and invest in their farms. Returnees from abroad are also finding job opportunities through the business, using their skills in a meaningful way. Restaurants in Kathmandu and members of the Korean community are now regular customers. Through this shop, Dil is showing that small farms can thrive and that clean, honest food systems are possible in Nepal.

Every pig farmer who earns a fair price brings us one step closer to a stronger, cleaner food system.

Now, Dil is preparing to expand Hankook Meat Shop’s capacity, so it can support more farms and deliver clean, trustworthy meat to more families. That’s why we’re launching this crowdfunding campaign through The Bridge International. Your donation will help purchase two commercial freezers and support the setup of a clean, community-based meat shop.

Be part of this change.

Your impact donation can help build a future where Nepali farmers are valued—

and where clean food is a right, not a privilege.