Bhutan PM calls for conscious food systems at global summit

Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Topgay has called for a rethink of global food systems, saying the world produces more food than ever, but hundreds of millions of people still go hungry.

Speaking at the opening of the first Global Conscious Food Systems Summit in Paro, Bhutan, Topgay questioned why the global food system continues to fail to adequately nourish people and the planet.

“Why does so much about our global food system still not add up? Humanity has never known more about how to produce food than it does today...We produce more food than ever before, and yet hundreds of millions of people still go hungry,” he said.

The summit is being hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Conscious Food Systems Alliance and the United Nations Development Programme, with nearly 400 participants from more than 60 countries.

The gathering seeks to promote a new approach to transforming food systems by recognising culture, values, spirituality, happiness and inner development as drivers of systemic change. It aims to build collective action and investment around these aspects to advance sustainability, justice and wellbeing.

Topgay said a meal represents a much larger network involving farmers, soil, water, seeds, climate, transport, markets, livelihoods, health, economies and culture.

“Most of the time we see only the food on our plate,” he said.

Participants include Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Irish President and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Bombay Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, Indigenous youth climate advocate Taily Terena and SEKEM Development Foundation founder Helmy Abou El Eisch.

The summit is expected to develop a framework for Conscious Food Systems covering vision, guidelines, case studies and lessons learnt.

Topgay said Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness could contribute to the discussion by placing human wellbeing, communities and environmental protection alongside economic growth.

He also pointed to the Gelephu Mindfulness City, saying it could bring food, health, agriculture, technology, enterprise and sustainability together as interconnected parts of Bhutan’s future economy.