Sherab Lhamo

In a proactive step towards combating climate change and promoting sustainability, a two-day workshop titled “Plant-Based Friendly Hospitality” commenced yesterday. The workshop aims to foster vegan-friendly kitchens across various agencies in the country.

These agencies include the New Learning Development (NLD) Institute, the Royal Institute of Tourism, ZheyGo and its partners, and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB).

Aprajita Ashish, the Regional Liaison (Asia) of the Save Movement and Plant-Based Treaty Campaign, said the course encourages people to transition to a plant-based food system.

This shift is advocated because it benefits both animals and the climate.

She said that Bhutan was an ideal location to establish this course due to the deep compassion people have for animals and the cultural values that support this project.

Veganism, which prioritises causing the least harm, she added, aligns well with these principles in Bhutanese society.

When the trainers first arrived in the country, Tshetem Norbu, founder of Sacred Himalaya Travel and the local partner of Vegan Travel Asia and Veg Voyages Foundation, hosted a dinner. He invited the HRAB and other agencies. The concept of veganism piqued the interest of all attendees.

The HRAB representative said that many restaurants and hotels in the country offered vegan-friendly menus. However, the representative said their goal is for the majority to adopt vegan options, acknowledging that not every establishment currently offers a fully vegan menu.

The representative said there was a common misconception about veganism being costly. Adopting a vegan diet could reduce costs because it eliminates expensive meat and its substitutes for a more affordable plant-based alternatives. These alternatives, such as locally available fruits and vegetables, contribute to making vegan options economically viable.

Yusi, co-founder of Vegan Travel Asia and Veg Voyages Foundation, said the significance of food in travel decisions. When vegan menus are not readily available, it can detract from the ideal experience for tourists, she said.

A trainer of NLD, Sonam Ohm said she learned a lot about the difference between vegan and plant-based food.

She said plant-based food are meat items that can be created using plant-based substitutes. Vegans are those that do not consume meat, dairy, honey and others that come from animals.

Another trainer of NLD, Ugyen Bidha, said: “As Bhutanese we depend on dairy products and in the workshop they taught ways on how to create local cuisine like Ema Datsi using plant-based substitutes, like cashew nut and others.”

She said that this workshop helped get encouragement for being vegan and had many health benefits and environment and animal safety.

“And when producing vegan menus we do not have to rely on imports, we can make it our own,” said Ugyen.

All the participants will be receiving certificate on completing the workshop.

Aprajita shared that the plant-based industry is experiencing rapid growth, with the market expanding by 15 percent annually. It is projected to reach a substantial USD 168 billion by 2030.

The workshop received support from the Department of Tourism and Thrive Philanthropy, and was organised in collaboration with Veg Voyages, Animal Climate and Health Save Foundation, Plant Based Treaty Campaign, Vegan Travel Asia, and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan.