Being organic is not difficult. It simply begins with a kind heart — a heart that cares for your family and for the people who will consume the food you grow.
When a farmer grows food, it is not only for income. It is also a responsibility. The vegetables, fruits, and grains we produce become part of someone’s body, someone’s health, and someone’s life. If we grow food with too many chemicals, we may unknowingly harm the very people we care about.
In Bhutan, we often talk about becoming an organic country. But at the same time, we have never fully measured or understood how much chemical residue we consume in our daily food. Many people buy vegetables without knowing how they were grown.
Recently, news reports have said that 1 out of 16 Bhutanese may develop cancer in their lifetime. The causes can be many, but we must ask ourselves an important question: Is some of this connected to the chemical food we are consuming?
Sometimes I wish we had a small, inexpensive machine that could test vegetables and fruits for chemical residues in markets and homes. If people could clearly see the difference between organic and chemically grown food, awareness would grow naturally. Consumers would choose safer food, and farmers would feel encouraged to grow organically.
Therefore, my message is simple:
Let us pay attention to what we eat.
Let us study and understand the nutrients in our food.
Let us grow and choose food that protects our health and the health of others.
Organic farming is not only about agriculture.
It is about care, responsibility, and compassion for human life.
When we grow food with a good heart, we are not only feeding people — we are protecting the future of our society.
Thank you so much
Pema Wangchuk
