As climate change continues to disrupt traditional farming patterns, Bhutan is introducing a science-based approach to help farmers adapt. A new Agriculture Resilience Plan, developed jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the World Food Programme (WFP), will guide agricultural development in 37 gewogs across Trongsa, Tsirang, Zhemgang and Sarpang over the next five years.
The plan draws on three decades of climate records alongside information on soil quality, topography, land use, market opportunities and crop suitability to identify the commodities best suited to different locations. Officials say the initiative is intended to provide farmers with evidence-based recommendations at a time when changing rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are making agricultural production more uncertain.
For generations, Bhutanese farmers have relied largely on local knowledge and experience to determine what to cultivate. While that knowledge remains valuable, officials believe that combining it with scientific analysis can help farmers make more informed decisions and improve both productivity and resilience.
The assessment has also revealed that the most suitable agricultural activity from a production perspective is not always the most profitable.
In Zhemgang, for instance, dairy farming aligns well with local climatic and geographical conditions. However, when factors such as market demand, processing opportunities and potential income are taken into account, spices emerge as the commodity with the strongest commercial prospects. Based on the overall analysis, the district’s priority commodities have been identified as spices, dairy and coffee.
The study also outlines priority commodities for the other participating districts. Poultry, vegetables and mushrooms have been recommended for Sarpang, while Trongsa’s focus areas are dairy, vegetables and mushrooms. In Tsirang, the analysis highlights vegetables, dairy and piggery as the most promising sectors.
According to Peter Rodrigues, Country Director of WFP Bhutan, the initiative is designed to strengthen—not replace—the practical knowledge farmers have built over generations.
He said some farmers may question the need for such an exercise after cultivating the same land for decades. However, the objective is to support those traditional decisions with scientific evidence that identifies what is most suitable for specific locations. He added that agriculture forms an important part of regional development, and reliable technical information enables farmers to make choices that enhance both their incomes and food security.
To make the findings widely accessible, WFP has also developed an interactive digital mapping platform that allows farmers, planners and policymakers to explore the recommendations.
Users can search by crop, district or location, zoom into individual areas and generate visual summaries showing the suitability of different commodities. WFP GIS Officer Jigme Tenzin said the tool has been designed to present complex technical information in a simple, user-friendly format so that people can easily identify which crops are best suited to particular areas.
Officials say the Agriculture Resilience Plan will also support government agencies and development partners in directing investments towards areas where they can deliver the greatest impact. By aligning farming choices with local environmental conditions and market opportunities, they expect the initiative to boost farm incomes, diversify rural livelihoods and encourage greater participation in commercial agriculture, particularly among young people.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock will decide whether the approach will be expanded to other districts.
As Bhutan’s agriculture sector faces growing climate-related challenges, officials believe that combining traditional farming knowledge with scientific evidence will help reduce production risks, strengthen food security and build a more resilient agricultural future.
