Thimphu, 28 April 2023: By supporting the smallholder farmers to adopt technology-enabled farming practices, the new project will augment Bhutan’s efforts to transform its agri-food system for resilience in the face of climate change and other crisis. 

The project titled, “Promoting Technologically Enabled Agriculture for the Vulnerable Farming Population in Bhutan”, will foster green agri-businesses, post-harvest technologies and resilient marketing facilities. 

The year-long project will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. It will support more than 2,000 farmers, including women and youth, and entrepreneurs in eight districts. 

This USD 1.54 million project is the latest in a series of projects supported by the Government of Japan and UNDP. 

Developed through extensive consultations with partner ministries - Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Ministry of Finance - the project interventions align with the Royal Government’s priority to accelerate achievement of food self-sufficiency and economic self-reliance. 

The Director of the Department of Macro Fiscal and Development Finance, Mr. Loday Tsheten highlighted the importance of the project to reinforce adaptive response mechanism in the agriculture sector to build resilience of farmers and entrepreneurs alike. “The project must be transformative and employment generating besides driving impacts through business models to test innovation and technologies in the agriculture system”, said Mr. Tsheten. 

UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Mohammad Younus said the global climate crisis is impacting food system and threatening human security, as never seen before. “We have entered a new era of poly-crisis and no country is immune to this. Therefore, this new partnership aims to support Bhutan’s farming system through innovative and nature-based solutions, digitalization and resilient supply chain system amongst others. It will help Bhutan advance national food security and green socio-economic recovery goals.”

Mr. Hiroyuki Yamashita, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan joined the signing ceremony virtually from New Delhi.

“This project is significant as it will directly contribute towards translating the plans and ambitions to promote low-carbon development in the agri-food sector, laid out in Bhutan’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, into concrete actions and impacts. We are proud to be partnering with the Royal Government of Bhutan and UNDP in this endeavor,” said Mr. Hiroyuki Yamashita, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, New Delhi.

“The project is also yet another testament to the close and longstanding friendship between the Governments and people of Bhutan and Japan. It reflects the shared commitment of our two countries towards achieving sustainable development.”

Through promoting low-carbon farming practices, increasing biomass through improved perennial crop production and orchards, and enhancing efficiencies across storage and distribution system, the project will help reduce carbon emissions from the agriculture and livestock sector. Currently, the sector accounts for 14.5 percent of the country’s total carbon emissions. 

For more information, please contact:

Dhendrup Tshering, Assistant Program Coordinator, Department of Macro Fiscal and Development Finance, Email: dhendruptshering@mof.gov.bt , Mobile: 17908185

Dechen Wangmo, Communications Analyst, UNDP Bhutan; Email: dechen.wangmo@undp.org, Mobile: 17343086