TSIRANGORGANICSEEDSPROJECTBhutan

JoinourSupportNetworkSeedsofHopeandProsperity

Forthelocalcommuni;esinTsirang,learningtogrowseeds

andse?ngupalocalandinterna;onaldistribu;onnetworkwillbringprosperity,

happinessandre-engagementofyoungpeoplewithfarming.

Whyweneedyoursupport?

Organicseeds are essen;al for the resilienceand sustainability of our food systems.Even in Bhutanwitha“100%organiccountry”policy thisproves to bean enormouschallenge. Farmers increasingly depend on seeds they buy, mostly from hugecompanies who promote chemical farming and protect their interestwith patents.Seedsalarminglyadaptto chemicalproduc;onmethods basedonar;ficial fer;lizers,pes;cidesandherbicides.Farmerswhogrow‘theorganicway’faceweakenedseeds iftheyrelyonconven;onalseedsavailableinthemarket.Onlysystema;cproduc;onofhighqualityorganicseedswillsavethefutureofsustainableagriculture,ourhealthandtheculturalvaluesimplicateinthehumanmissiontocarefortheEarth.

Inordertobringbackseedproduc;onintheirownhands,farmersoRenhavetostartat zero. In many countries there is no organic seeds supply system and regulatoryframeworks are hos;le to small-scale par;cipatory seed produc;on and distribu;onini;a;ves.Economicperspec;vesaresliminashorttermperspec;ve.

MeetwithDilipKumarSubba,ProjectManager

Dilip Kumar Subba does not fear these enormouschallenges. He is an experienced seeds grower inBhutan.

DilipKumarSubba,organicvegetableseedsproducerForover ten years Dilip worked in awell-known small-scale seed produc;on company. He does not rejectinnova;onbutresiststo followthetrendincommercialseed breeding: compromise with the mainstream andadaptto theindustrialfarmingapproach.Hedecidedtorelocate his family to Tsirang district in central Bhutanand go back to his remote village-community to startorganicseedproduc;onforthemarket.Hesupportstheideathatweshould co-create“mindfulmarkets”wherelong term perspec;ves, even the interests of futuregenera;ons,prevailovershorttermgains.

FeasibleventureBuildinganorganicseedsproduc;onbaseinDilip’scommunityandaseedsnetworkinBhutanwillresultinafeasibleventure.

OrganicseedproducLonandexperimentaLoninthefield

Ini;allyDilipwillsetupaonepersonventureandregisterasanorganiccompany.TheNa;onalOrganicProgramme(NOP)oftheMinistryofAgricultureandForestsaswellastheCollegeofNaturalResources(CNR)oftheRoyalUniversityofBhutanrecognizethecon;nuous need forhigh quality organic vegetable seeds among farmers in Bhutan.Vegetable growers in tropical zones in the region, includingmemberorganisa;ons ofthe Towards Organic Asia (TOA) network, face a growing demand for organic non-tropicalvegetables likecarrots,cabbage,broccoli etc.They cangrowthespecies,butareunabletobreed thetemperatezoneseeds undertropicalcircumstances.TheyareeagertoimportorganicseedsfromBhutan.

For the local communi;es in Tsirang,learning(again)togrowseedsandse?ngupa local and interna;onal distribu;onnetworkwillbringprosperity,happinessandre-engagement of young people withfarming.

Ul;mately we should understand seedsnetworks, and indeed our food systems, as“commons”.This vision engages us all in anexcitingandjoyfulcollectivelearningprocess.

YoursupportDilip’scourageouseffortscannotsucceedwithoutcompassionatesupportfromabroadnetworkoffriendsandlikemindedsoulswhoaremindfulofthechallengeshefaces.AcontemporaryapproachtowhatinThaicultureis veneratedas “dana”(generosity) isnow shaped as a heart-to-heart “crowd funding” campaign to guarantee Dilip hismaterialneedsinthefirstthreeyearsoftheproject.Basedonexperiencesduringthefirstharvestin2017wecommittoconveneaworkshopinearly2018toevaluatetheprocessand iden;fytheneedsandopportuni;esoftheTsirangorganicseeds ventureinthecomingdecade.Thankyouforjoiningourcollec;velearningprocess.

InformaLon(ForTSIRANGORGANICSEEDSPROJECT)BankName: KrungthaiBank(FuangNakornBranch)AccountName:Ms.NarumonPaiboonsi?kunandMrs.WallapaVanWillenswaardAccountNo.: 159-0-09077-2Contact: TowardsOrganicAsia-NarumonPaiboonsi?kun Tel:+66(0)815783338 Emailpnarumon@yahoo.com

TSIRANGORGANICSEEDSPROJECT

ChairpersonVenerablePaisalVisalo

CommiPeeSuraseeKosolnavin SuthiphandChirathivat PridaTiasuwan

ChatchawanThongdeelert DianeChirathivat SunanthaTiasuwanSomkidKaewthip SurichaiWan-kaew SirojAngsuwat

ChomchuanBoonrahong ChantanaSiribanpachot PravitYuemsansukSuchanSinamnuay SuratHorachaikul SomkiatApinyachonKanyaWaiyakanee PrapartPintoptang San;KhunpisitwongPorthipPetchporee ChamnienYosraj SomboonChungprampreeSuntareeSengking PamanaKijkailas JamnongJitrniratanaKhun

KingkornNaAyuthaya PavinManacho NipatpornPengkaewPoolchaweeRungwichathorn NarumonNopparat Thi;maKuna;ranont

PreedaRungwichathorn AnatTancho RatanaKun;ranontAngkanaJinanon JanejiraLocha UdomHongcha;kul

JukkritPoolsavatki;gool Chari?pornMengkret ArrutNavarajNonglakTrongselsat SomnukYoddumnern SodsaiKan;worapongPrasanIngkanunt ChareeratRochanachin SuthidaTrisuwan

SupasiriChaninwong Bang-ornChirayus CharoenwutTrisuwanNonglakSukjaijaroenkit BussabongSriboonyapirat SasinantChatpamananantAnochaParameesak TanomwongLamyodmakpol AngkarnChanmuang

RegionalSeedsNetworkDaychaSiripatra SupaYaimuang NakornLimpacuptathavonPavineeChaipak ThiTranLanh KeamMakaradyYangSiangKoma VitouSam KhamphouiSaythalatSaiSamKam GumShaAung KhunWaiLarBoBoLwin KesangTshomo ChimmiDorji

SupportCommiPeeWallapavanWillenswaard May;neePhisutsinthop NarumonPaiboonsi?kun

ProjectManagerDilipKumarSubba

ProjectAdvisorSonamTashiHansvanWillenswaardSonamTashiHansvanWillenswaardSonamTashiHansvanWillenswaard