The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In line with the values of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) is taking steps to make agriculture more inclusive for persons with disabilities (PWDs) according to the MoAL Minister Younten Phuntsho.
While MoAL’s primary mandate remains to enhance the country’s food and nutrition security through improved production, access, distribution, and sustainable use of food, its policies and strategies are guided by principles of inclusivity. The Food and Nutrition Security Policy of Bhutan 2023 highlights gender equality and social inclusion as central to building resilient and inclusive agri-food systems.
Specifically, Strategic Priority Intervention 10 calls for the active participation of women and socially disadvantaged groups, including PWDs, in farming as well as in the management of farmers’ groups and cooperatives.
To help achieve this, MoAL promotes adaptive technologies such as mechanization, semi or automated greenhouses, and the introduction of high-value crops requiring less physical labor. Capacity-building programs are also being provided to support differently abled individuals to engage in agriculture.
The ministry also implements several donor-funded projects that incorporate social inclusion and gender empowerment. Under the CARLEP Project, mini power tillers were distributed across six eastern dzongkhags, with priority given to households that include PWDs and women farmers, helping to reduce labor burdens and boost productivity.
In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), MoAL is also implementing the Technical Cooperation Project at Changangkha Middle Secondary School, offering training in bed-log preparation, value addition, and production management of Nameko mushrooms for students with Special Education Needs (SEN). Parents of these students are also trained to support home-based mushroom cultivation, creating more inclusive livelihood opportunities at the household level.
Recognizing the potential of modern technology, the ministry is further promoting automation and smart agriculture, such as automated greenhouses, drone-based applications, and smart irrigation systems, which can reduce the need for heavy physical labor and make farming more accessible to differently abled individuals.
While these targeted interventions will be expanded under future programs, MoAL notes that Bhutan’s steep and rugged farming landscapes still pose structural challenges to large-scale mechanization and fully disability-friendly farming. Despite these constraints, the ministry remains committed to creating an environment where PWDs can meaningfully participate in agriculture, in line with its overarching goal of strengthening the nation’s food and nutrition security.
