Nine nature-based products, developed as part of a project that aims to support sustainable rural livelihood, were launched in Thimphu yesterday.
The products include anti-wrinkle cream, balm, massage oil, perfume, soaps and hand sanitisers.
The project, implemented by the National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), Menjong Sorig Pharmaceutical Corporation and the UNDP, is also designed to contribute towards conservation and sustainable use of globally significant bio diversity in the country.
The products were developed through Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework. A lot of research and prototype development were carried out to come up with the products.
Lokchina Gewog in Chhukha, Langthil in Trongsa and Lingzhi and Dagala Gewog in Thimphu have been chosen as pilot sites for the project implementation.
Chencho Dorji from the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) is the Project Manager.
“Basically it was already there. There are a lot of companies who are already making products from genetics resources and we wanted to pilot the ABS in the field, so that is how we selected these different pilot sites to experiment making products,” he said.
“In Bhutan, there is such a strong relationship between people and the land and Bhutan used to be known as the land of medical herbs, and products like these help to bring that reputation and history into the modern age,” UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative Niamh Collier-Smith said.
Namgay Wangchuk, a farmer representative said the benefits are many. “Firstly, with such project, it will help us educate people about medical herbs available in the country,” he said.
“Secondly, it will help people generate income. Thirdly, marketing such products outside Bhutan will benefit the country.”
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the UNDP and the government funded the US $1 m project.
The project started in 2014 and is expected to wrap up soon.
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