YK Poudel

A three-day workshop is underway in Paro to enhance the technical skills of food-based entrepreneurs and key institutions in value addition and food product development.

The event, organised by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) in collaboration with FAO Bhutan, features technical expertise from Mahidol University, Thailand.

The workshop, which began yesterday and runs until December 27, is part of the broader One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative. It aims to strengthen Bhutan’s food systems through innovation and skill development.

Titled “Building Capacity of Food-Based Entrepreneurs and Key Institutions in Value Addition and Food Product Development for the Promotion of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative”, the workshop has brought together a diverse group of participants from government agencies, state-owned enterprises, and private businesses.

The programme focuses on enhancing technical skills for developing innovative, value-added products, with a particular emphasis on quinoa and other Specialized Agricultural Products (SAPs). These efforts align with Bhutan’s goals of achieving nutritional security and economic sustainability.

During the workshop, experts from Mahidol University are leading hands-on training sessions on key topics such as recipe development, food formulation, nutrient profiling, product standardisation, certification, packaging, and labeling. These sessions aim to integrate traditional Bhutanese food practices with modern food processing techniques, ensuring the preservation of Bhutan’s culinary heritage while improving the market competitiveness of locally produced goods.

The OCOP initiative, FAO’s flagship programme, promotes a green approach to the production, processing, storage, and distribution of locally significant agricultural products to enhance food security, nutrition, and income generation.

For Bhutan, quinoa has been identified as a priority product under the OCOP initiative due to its potential to address diverse nutritional needs, combat food insecurity, and strengthen market competitiveness.

The three-day workshop seeks to empower food entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, as well as key institutional representatives involved in postharvest processing and value addition. It focuses on combining traditional Bhutanese recipes with quinoa to create innovative, nutritious products while enhancing skills in recipe formulation, product standardization, quality assurance, certification, and marketing.

Warangkana Srichamnong (PhD), a food policy and certification expert from Mahidol University, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative. She emphasised that by blending science with tradition, the workshop helps participants develop products that meet local nutritional needs while adhering to global market standards, ensuring greater sustainability and the gradual scaling up of production, supply, and consumption.

The hands-on training sessions offer participants the chance to explore nutrient profiling, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life studies for newly developed products. The aim is to prepare market-ready quinoa-based products with improved labeling, packaging, and certification, ensuring better consumer appeal and accessibility.

Tshering Dema, a private food entrepreneur from Thimphu, described the workshop as a game-changer.

“I’ve been exploring ways to expand my product line using locally sourced ingredients. Learning how to blend quinoa with traditional recipes while ensuring quality and safety standards opens so many opportunities for me. This workshop is exactly what I needed to take my business to the next level,” she said.

Dechen Wangmo, another participant and small-scale food processor, shared her excitement about the training. “As a woman entrepreneur, this initiative is very empowering. The hands-on sessions on packaging and marketing are especially valuable because these are the areas where I struggle the most,” she said.

The practical training includes exercises in nutrient profiling, sensory evaluation, and shelf-life studies for newly developed products. Participants are learning to create quinoa-based products that are market-ready, with enhanced labeling, packaging, and certification to boost consumer appeal and accessibility.