Guided by the concept of “gross national happiness”, the small Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has achieved rapid economic growth. It transitioned into a lower middle-income country at the end of 2023, with investments in health and education reducing poverty from 23 to 12 percent in just a decade. 

However, the impact of climate change is expected to lead to more frequent and intense disasters, threatening to reverse Bhutan’s progress. Most people depend on the agricultural sector to survive, so protecting the country’s food systems is an important step towards reaching zero hunger.

Eighty-six percent of Bhutanese do not consume sufficient vegetables and fruits. More than a quarter of households cannot afford a diet that meets their nutrient needs. 

Although agriculture is one of the economic mainstays of Bhutan, less than 3 percent of its land is arable. The mountainous terrain, limited commercial farming and marketing, and post-harvest management constraints mean that Bhutan imports about half its food from neighbouring countries.

WFP supports Bhutan with technical assistance in nutrition, climate-resilient food systems, and emergency preparedness and response. WFP handed over the school meals programme to the Government in 2019.

What the World Food Programme is doing in Bhutan

Nutrition
WFP supports the Government in the prevention and management of malnutrition, including the expansion of the National School Feeding and Nutrition Programme. WFP improves the health and diets of Bhutan’s children through school menu design, nutrition curriculum development for schools and guidance on behaviour change related to nutrition. WFP also links farmers and their nutritious crops directly to schools, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
Livelihoods and climate resilient food systems
WFP is supporting the Government as it strengthens livelihoods and climate resilient food systems. WFP’s assistance is implemented across the agriculture value chain, boosting demand for local food, building production capacity, and refining post-harvest management, marketing, knowledge management & cost efficiency and coordination & policy. A near real-time integrated national agriculture statistical, monitoring & reporting system is under development with the Government to improve agricultural statistics, market related data, and data on rural livelihoods including farmer income and job creation. The focus is on transforming resources into tangible development results through past lessons, sharpened focus and consolidation.
Emergency preparedness and response
WFP supports the Government in strengthening national resilience to disasters and climate change across governance and coordination, data preparedness, logistics, emergency telecommunications, and food and nutrition security. This includes drafting a national road map for disaster risk management, earthquake-impact modelling, strengthening emergency telecommunications and emergency logistics preparedness.

Publications

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In focus

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Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Bhutan is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
IFAD Joint SDG Fund KOICA Royal Government of Bhutan Tarayana Foundation

Operations in Bhutan

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Contacts

Office

UN House, Peling Lam, Kawajangsa
Thimphu
Bhutan

Phone
+975 2 323007
Fax
+975 2 323988
Email
carrie.morrison@wfp.org
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