Ministry of Agriculture National Biodiversity Centre

Gaylong Drukpa

Asta Tamang

Dr. Tashi Y. Dorji

Ganesh Chettri

Wangda Drukpa

BUCKWHEAT CONSERVATION AND UTILISATION

TOWARDS FOOD SECURITY AND MEARURE TO COPE WITH

CLIMATE CHANGE

Conservation efforts in relation to

plant genetic resources are

usually divided into two

categories, in situ conservation

and ex situ conservation. As a part

of in-situ on-farm management of

diversity in Bumthang, farmers

have revived Buckwheat farming,

a ‘dying tradition’ thus

contributing to food security, rural

income generation while aiming

diversity.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Environmental conservation is one of

the pillars of Gross National Happiness

(GNH) development philosophy and

Bhutan is fully committed to long-term

conservation and sustainable

utilization of biological resources.

Bhutan is one of the few countries

with its biodiversity still intact. The

country exhibits an enormous diversity

of plant genetic resources for food and

agriculture (PGRFA) that is significant

for the country and the world at large.

Diversity of plant genetic resources is

the basis for food security and

adaptation to climate change and the

loss or erosion of this diversity poses a

grave risk to food security. Yet there

are many factors that are directly or

indirectly leading to gradual loss or

genetic erosion of domesticated crop

diversity in the country.

While committed to the long-term

conservation of biological resources,

the emphasis of the government

policy is to ensure that sustainable

utilization goes hand in hand with

conservation to contribute to poverty

alleviation in the 10th five year plan

2008-2012. Therefore, there is a clear

and urgent need to add economic

value to the local PGR diversity to

contribute to food security, income

generation and maintenance of

diversity.

The National Biodiversity Centre and

Department of Agriculture with

support from Integrated Livestock and

Crop Conservation project (ILCCP)

funded by UNDP-GEF has initiated a

number of activities to add value to

and promote indigenous crops. This

project focuses on a number of

local/traditional/indigenous crop

varieties and livestock breeds in eight

Dzongkhags (Districts) and in 18 sites.

This paper highlights the success story

of ‘Buckwheat in Bumthang’ through

ILCCP support.

BUCKWHEAT IN BUMTHANG

Buckwheat and barley are the oldest

crops of Bumthang. Buckwheat was a

staple food crop of Bumthang in the

past. However the area under

buckwheat cultivation has decreased

radically with the change in food

habits and food culture from the

traditional use of buckwheat as a

staple food to use of rice,

commercialization of potatoes as a

cash crop, easy availability of cheap

rice, growing of apples, economic

development, improved accessibility,

less manpower to work the fields etc.

This led to the following situations:

1. Change of food habit resulting

in loss of traditional food

culture.

2. Gradual loss of indigenous

knowledge on use of

buckwheat.

3. Farmers’ greater reliance on

imported rice resulting in

vulnerability on food security.

4. Increasing farmers’ reliance on

potatoes as a cash crop as

other crops have less prospects

in temperate agro-ecological

zones again increasing farmers’

vulnerability in terms of food

security.

5. Significant decline in cultivation

resulting genetic erosion of

buckwheat.

Sweet buckwheat

Bitter buckwheat

CONSERVATION AND UTILISATION INITIATIVES

It was in this context that the National

Biodiversity Centre and the

Department of Agriculture initiated the

Buckwheat Utilization and

Conservation program in Bumthang

through UNDP-GEF funded project

‘Integrated Livestock and Crop

Conservation Project’ with objectives

of food security, income generation

and conservation of buckwheat

heritage.

(i). Awareness Workshops to

farming communities: During the

first quarter of 2009, the Dzongkhag

Agriculture Sector with financial and

technical support from the National

Biodiversity Centre conducted a series

of awareness workshops on the

importance of biodiversity for all the

farming communities in Bumthang

Dzongkhag. The farmers realized and

appreciated the initiatives taken up by

the Ministry of Agriculture towards not

only saving the diverse agro-biological

wealth for the future generations but

also in maintaining this wealth in the

field for a resilient production system.

(ii). Enhancing knowledge of

Extension Officers: During the

second quarter of 2009, Agriculture

Extension Officers were provided

training opportunities to enhance their

knowledge on economic-based

strategy of agro-biodiversity

management.

Awareness workshop on biodiversity

Exposure visit for Extension Officers

(iii). Farmers’ Expression of

Interest

Farmers realized that it is important to

diversify the farm produce for

sustainability of agricultural farming.

Therefore, fifteen motivated farmers

from Choekhor Gewog expressed their

interest in the revival of buckwheat in

Choekhor Gewog, Bumthang.

The Dzongkhag Agriculture Sector

with training experience took a lead

role in harmonizing and synergizing

the efforts of all the farmers as well as

relevant stakeholder organizations

such as Department of Agriculture

including the National Organic

Program, the National Biodiversity

Centre and Agriculture Marketing

Services under the Ministry of

Agriculture in making this farmers’

initiative successful.

All the different actors worked

together towards the following

outcomes:

(a). Farmers were provided training on

adding value to buckwheat through

the use of low cost technology on

product development, product

diversification, processing, packaging

and marketing.

(b). Farmer groups with support from

the Dzongkhag and relevant agencies

drafted bylaws to ensure sustainability

of the group and their functions.

Farmers’ training on product development

Farmers’ training on product development

Farmers’ Group members

(c). Promotion of buckwheat and

its products

In August 2009, the farmers showed

interests and came up with buckwheat

products including local organic

vegetables at the Matsutake festival

held in Ura, Bumthang. There were

about 9 buckwheat products like

breads, cakes, doughnut, putta

(noodles), khuli (pancakes), husk

pillows etc. It was a surprise for the

general public to see buckwheat

breads and cakes. The farmers were

excited with the response and

feedback from the dignitaries and the

general public.

Inspired and motivated by this

support, the group geared towards

developing more products.

They participated again in the Food

Festival in Thimphu in November,

2009 offering diverse choices to the

consumers and at the same time also

competing with other exotic food

products.

Buckwheat pillow

Buckwheat cake

Buckwheat cake

Dignitaries visiting the stall

Buckwheat flour

OBSERVED RESULT SO FAR

This program has brought in remarkable

outcomes elaborated below:

1. The farmers are cultivating

buckwheat in land which used to

remain fallow in the past thereby

showing a positive trend in area

and production to contribute to

food security.

2. The program has created a market

and demand for buckwheat

products. The farmers are able to

generate income from the sale of

buckwheat products. However,

ensuring sustained supply is a

challange.

3. This program has also provided

employment opportunities to

those who left school and were at

the cross road of migrating to

urban areas.

4. The program has contributed to

enhancing and promoting gender

participation as 11 out of 15

members are women. Gender was

given due importance since women

play a key role in the conservation

of buckwheat.

5. This program has contributed to

community empowerment

through building their capacity in

product diversification and

marketing as well as boosting the

morale of farmers and motivating

further innovation. Efforts are

being made to build capacity so

that the farmers are able to carry

the work forward themselves.

6. The program has presented more

food choices to the consumers and

also seeks to carve a niche as a

health food due to the medicinal

properties of buckwheat.

7. The program will contribute to the

maintenance of diversity and

preservation of traditional food

culture. Farmers have witnessed

the benefits of conserving and

using traditional buckwheat and

are motivated to carry on the

conservation and maintenance of

traditional varieties.

8. The farmers who are the

custodians of agro-biodiversity

recognize the importance of

diversity and the important role

they play in the conservation of

this diversity for future

generations.

9. Lastly even though this is a small, budding

program, it gives immense hope in terms

of what can be achieved if all the different

actors starting from farmers to extension

agents to research officers to policy

makers play their parts; the goals of food

security and maintenance of agro-

biodiversity seem only a matter of time.