Organic Agriculture and PGS in Bhutan

Bhutan Prime Minister’s priority is promoting Organic Agriculture and PGS for GNH

Three members of the Organic Farming Association of India [OFAI], Mr. Ashish Gupta, Mr. Vikram Rawat and Mr. Miguel Braganza visited Bhutan for the promotion of organic agriculture and PGS on the invitation by Samdrup Jonkhar initiative executive Tashi Ronald coleman and Dasho Tashi Dorji, The OFAI representative met with the Bhutan Prime Minister H.E. Jigme Y. Thinley on 25 February, 2011, during his visit to Samdrup Jongkhar town for the Mid-Term Review [MTR] of Bhutan’s 5-year plan to evaluate the progress of Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative [SJI] activities to promote Organic Agriculture and collective marketing groups. Dasho Tashi Dorji and ‘Tashi’ Ronald Coleman represented SJI for the meeting along with the OFAI Resource Persons from India in an interaction scheduled for 15 minutes but that lasted almost one hour due to the keen interest of the PM in organic agriculture that was to be also dovetailed into the tourism policies of this Himalayan country. The Prime Minister was flanked by the Finance Minister, Mr. Wangdi Norbu; Health Minister, Mr. Zonglay Drogba; Secretary for Agriculture, Mr. Sherup Dorji, and the Protocol Officer.

Speaking on behalf of the OFAI team, Miguel Braganza, Additional Director at the OFAI Central Secretariat in Goa, drew attention to the fact that Organic Agriculture was compatible with the Bhutanese national objective of Gross National Happiness [GNH] and the Buddhist culture of protecting all living creatures. Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soil, ecosystems and people, combining tradition, innovation and science, and it promotes fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.PGS helps build Local Groups of organic farmers to achieve it. Poison-free food also reduced the pressure on the healthcare system by reducing incidence of ulcers, tumours, migraine headaches and cancers due to toxic chemicals used as insecticides, herbicides, etc. Thus OA has complete convergence with the objectives of GNH in Bhutan.

Ashish Gupta emphasized that organic agriculture was ahimsa in practice and this connect was understood by all the farmers immediately in Bhutan. The connect between spirituality and farming was emphasized as the journey from the “Soil to the Soul”. In addition to soil health, chemical-free OA also enhanced the health of the consumers. Since OA and PGS promoted local consumption of the organic produce, health of the organic farmers was also ensured as they are the first consumers. OA will promote a healthier nation. He also emphasized the urgent need for Bhutan to attain self sufficiency in the produce that it currently imports.

Vikram Rawat informed the PM and others that he was a farmer speaking from personal experience. In Himachal Pradesh, his apple-based production system also had other fruits and vegetables on the farm that catered to the market in Delhi. The Karsog Valley Farmers’ Group had about 500 farmers networked through a number of farmer-managed micro-collection centres and five bigger collection centres for locally produced exotic vegetables that were marketed collectively. He volunteered to help create similar capacities in farmers of a village that may be identified by SJI in Bhutan for collective marketing of organic produce.