Bhutan to become world's first totally organic country

The mountain kingdom of Bhutan is famous for measuring Gross National Happiness as a quotient more important than Gross National Product. Now the Himalayan nation is looking to become the world leader in organic farming. "We are nearly all Buddhists. Being kind to the environment and the planet has a central meaning for us," says Kesang Tshomo, coordinator of the Ministry of Agriculture’s national organic program. Around 70% of Bhutan’s people make a living from agriculture. As part of Bhutan’s environmental protection measures, the country is constitutionally bound to ensure at least 60% of Bhutan remains forested. The figure currently stands at 72%. Bhutan has also set itself the target of remaining carbon neutral and is currently actually carbon negative. “The next logical step was obviously to promote organic agriculture,” says Peldon Tshering, chief strategist of Bhutan’s environmental commission.