B-Kind
THE FIRST IDRC SUPPORTED PROJECT : Bhutanese Knowledge for Indigenous Development (B-KIND) – Research on Gender, Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change and Wellbeing
General Objective
To co-create and apply evidence-based scientific and indigenous knowledge to promote gender transformative practices and inform policies for enhancing adaptive capacities, sustainable livelihoods and well-being of vulnerable rural communities in Bhutan
Specific Objectives
- To generate knowledge through scientific and citizen-research in locally appropriate organic agricultural-food systems, and gender transformative practices that enhance adaptation to climate change, resilient livelihoods and wellbeing.
- To implement in pilot sites action-research on the use of best organic farming practices and holistic food systems that enhance the livelihoods of rural communities while strengthening local adaptation capacities, and ensure gender-equitable benefits.
- To strengthen transdisciplinary expertise, promote collaboration between biophysical and social researchers, and support Masters and PhD students.
- To enhance leadership expertise and inform evidence-based policy processes related to national plans for resilient organic farming, climate change, gross national happiness, gender equality, and food and nutrition security
The research project focuses on themes such as
- Climate Change Adaptation
The B-KIND project looks at agriculture in the context of changing climate, emerging scenarios of climate change and human-wildlife conflict on the livelihood of rural farmers, and climate vulnerabilities. It also looks at climate change-induced water issues to maintain/improve the livelihoods of the impacted communities and how to increase water use efficiency – both delivery and water use, to optimize decreasing water availability.
2. Sustainable Agriculture
The project is looking at organic farming as means of sustainable agriculture. It studies the trade-offs of organic farming in the context of climate change for sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods.
3. Gender Equality and Transformative Change
The project studies gender dynamics in the socio-cultural and political-ecological environment like inheritance, control of resources, decisions making power, power influence in the family, and opportunity lost and gained.
4. Holistic Food Systems.
The project looks at the influence of climate change on food systems and their value chains. It also tries to evaluate how to increase the diversity and availability of vegetables in the highland communities taking advantage of climate change and technologies.
5. Indigenous Knowledge and Community Dynamics
The project looks at the wealth of indigenous knowledge that communities rely on for their livelihood and well-being. For example the local healers, crop production and consumption practices, and the changes that have occurred.
The resources/finance
The project received a grant of 1.2 million Canadian dollars from the Government of Canada through the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Keep up to date on our research.
We have programs throughout the country. Help spread all that it means to B-KIND!
