buckwheat conservation and utilisation towards...
TRANSCRIPT
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.