Bhutan

Maintaining a diverse agro-biological wealth for future generations

Since the initiation of the programme, farmers have witnessed the benefits of buckwheat cultivation and are motivated to carry on the conservation and maintenance of traditional varieties. It has contributed to community empowerment by enhancing their capacity in product diversification and marketing. Capacity building efforts are being continued to ensure that the farmers are able to carry the work forward and ensure sustainability of the farming business.

In addition, the programme has provided employment opportunities to school dropouts who were at the cross road of migrating to urban areas, and contributed to enhancing and promoting gender participation as 11 out of 15 farmers are women.

Environmental conservation is one of the pillars of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the country is fully committed to long-term conservation and sustainable utilization of its biological resources. Bhutan exhibits enormous diversity of agro-biological wealth-plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) that is significant for the country and the world by and large.  Diversity of plant genetic resources is the foundation for food security and the loss or weakening of this very foundation to food security is a threat to food security. Yet there are many factors that are directly or indirectly leading to the gradual loss or genetic erosion of domesticated crop diversity in the country.

UNDP/GEF is supporting the government in contributing to the attainment of food security and self-sufficiency in Bhutan through the maintenance of adequate levels of indigenous agro-biodiversity through the Buckwheat Utilization and Conservation in Bumthang Programme under the larger Integrated Livestock and Crop Conservation Project with multiple objectives of food security, income generation and conservation of buckwheat heritage.