Bhutan

Bhutan is a landlocked mountainous country with a rugged landscape in the eastern Himalayas situated between China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India. It has an area of 38 394 sq km, with elevations ranging from 150 m to more than 7 000 m above sea level. More than 70 percent of the area is covered by forest and only around 2.9 percent is under cultivation. Although small, Bhutan has a wide range of agro-ecological zones and climates, ranging from subtropical to temperate and alpine, providing opportunities for broad crop and livestock farming. It also is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. The country’s economy is largely based on agriculture, and 62 percent of the population are farmers who depend on crop production and livestock for their livelihood. Agriculture contributes up to 16.77 percent of the counrtry’s GDP and accounts for 4.3 percent of exports. The crop sector alone contributes 10.06 percent of GDP. Farming is predominantly subsistence in nature but is gradually gaining commercial momentum. The agriculture sector continues to play an essential role in reducing poverty and bringing prosperity to the Bhutanese people. Poverty is almost entirely a rural phenomenon with 12 percent of the population living under the poverty line of USD 28 per person per month.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Zero Hunger