Navdanya has started training farmers in Samdrup Jongkhar province in the South Eastern Bhutan from 21st December 2010.

Govt. of Bhutan is helping the initiative led by Dzongsar Khentse Rinpoche as Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative of Dewathang Chokyi  Jyatso Institute in Dewathang of Samdrup Jongkhar Province. In the begining govt. has banned the use of agrochemicals in all 11 development blocks of Samdrup Jongkhar Development Province. Hundreds of renound persons of Bhutan were present at the occasion.

The initiative was launched by the Prime Minister of Bhutan Lonchen Jimi Y Thinlay in the workshop from 18-20th December at Dewathang in presence of Dr. Vandana Shiva. It was decided that Navdanya in the leadership of Dr. Shiva will help the initiative to convert whole province organic and later entire Bhutan to become organic.

Immediately after the launch of initiative, Dr. Vinod Bhatt and Sri Darwan Singh Negi of Navdanya started the hands on training to the farmers of Dewathang development block to make it possible. It is proposed to train about 200 farmers in 3 training programes to be organized between 21st – 26th December 2010.Navdany will initially help the initiative for three years.

Selected trainer farmers will be trained at Navdanya Biodiversity Conservation farm in Dehradun in the month of March, who will then spread the organic farming back home.

For details please visit www.sji.bt