The FAO Technical Network on Sustainable Crop Production and Agroecology is pleased to invite you to the webinar
Organic agriculture in Bhutan – a Story of Transition
Farming is a major source of livelihood for 475 million farmers in the world with land holding of less than 2 hectares. However, the impacts of conventional agricultural practices on human health and the environment are experienced all over the world. There is need for a radical shift in the current food and agriculture system that is sustainable, regenerative and supports the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom nestled between India and China, known for its pristine environment and unique Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, has set an example by choosing to transition into organic and carbon neutral food production. The National Organic Program under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests spearheaded the transition by developing a framework for organic agriculture, national organic standards and zero cost certification systems. Enabling policy interventions and collaboration of different departments of the Government facilitated nationwide promotion of organic agriculture.
The presenter of our webinar, Dr. Thiammaiah who advised the government of Bhutan through this transition, will tell us the story about this transition:
From developing the capacity of stakeholders, involving the private sector and non-governmental organizations, over school curricula that include training in organic agriculture to the important role that farmers groups and governmental agencies play. We will hear about how Bhutan creates awareness on low-cost organic agriculture technologies among the farmers and how a blend of traditional knowledge and technologies using the available local resources strengthened crop production and protection.
Join us in welcoming Dr. Thimmaiah and in learning more about Bhutan’s transition to organic and carbon neutral agriculture and food systems. Presenter's bio:
Dr. Thimmaiah is an expert in regenerative organic agriculture, agroecology, rural development, traditional knowledge systems. He received his Master’s degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and a PhD in Sustainable Agriculture from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Thimmaiah has advised projects in various countries and worked with Governments, the United Nations, International organizations, Agribusiness corporations, non-governmental organizations, and farmers associations in systems of regenerative agriculture and agribusiness. He advised the National Organic program of the Royal Government of Bhutan for 6 years to transition the food production in the Himalayan Kingdom to organic and carbon neutral. He serves in the board of many international organizations notably, Carbon Underground US, Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA), SAFE Network Indonesia, Demeter US, Uberoi Foundation US, Sustainable Living Coalition US and trustee of The Cows Foundation US. Thimmaiah has published several papers in reputed international journals, written books and presented numerous talks at international conferences/events. Currently he is Associate Professor and Director of Regenerative Organic Agriculture Program at the Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA.
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