Since the arrival of Wim Van Daele in Bhutan on Saturday 17 September 2022 a lot has happened: getting the visa extension and work permit, renting an apartment to serve as the basecamp for the EATWELL project, and last but not least preparing a comprehensive prospective journey across Bhutan to get an overview over the variation in food systems, identify the specific sites for our research, seek advice and permission from the relevant authorities, and identify places to stay within the community (if they are accepting me or my colleagues). For this journey, we have collected the invitations from 14 districts and applied for a route permit. All this was settled within three weeks thanks to the help of our wonderful Bhutanese partners: Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences Bhutan (KGUMSB), Royal Thimphu College (RTC), and Sherubtse College.
After an initial journey to the Haa district in western Bhutan from 26 to 29 September, where we had successful meetings with the officiating Dasho Dzongdag (district leader) and other Dzongkhag officials (district officials), as well as with Gups of the relevant Gewogs (village heads) and Tshokpas of the Chiwogs (bloc leaders), and potential host families, we were prepared for the second longer journey. After the meeting with the district officials in Thimphu, we left 9 October to Dagana, Zhemgang (where we appeared on the facebook website: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0KDRttU45Cyy9rw1SKToa6LhdKbNcJ9zPApwTuFvLspzeexCSwxouLvGJi8rH8FYrl&id=100064349311162 ), Trongsa, and Gasa where we have pursued the same agenda of identification of potential sites and seeking acceptance and advice from the different administrative levels and potential host families. In the first part of the EATWELL project, which we hope to start soon, the anthropological researchers will reside and conduct anthropological field research using participant observation as the central method and following food from seed to stool.
So far, this has been an intense but very positive journey with several meetings each day and long bumpy (and sometimes even risky) travels in between. Meeting golden langurs, deer and even a black bear underway are a great bonus, but the top bonus has been our participation at the Royal Highlander Festival in Laya from 23 to 24 October. Here, we had the great honour to speak briefly with some of the highest officials. We could familiarize ourselves with the different communities living at high altitude across Bhutan, establish contacts with their representatives, and experience the harsh life while staying with a Layap host family. The surroundings were stunning and it was a rather cold experience at an altitude of nearly 4000 metres.
In sum, our process of identification and seeking advice and acceptance is going very well so far and meanwhile we are also getting a rough overview of the diversity of the food system in Bhutan and its environmental and socio-cultural diversity. This is illustrated from the selection of pictures posted below. All this makes us fully aware that a more refined approach to food systems is warranted and that so much remains to be researched. After the meetings in Punakha, our journey soon will continue towards the eastern part of Bhutan during November.
Meetings:
Ready for the meetings with Dzongkhag, gewog and chiwog officials
Foodscapes:
Agriculture and livestock:
Yak herd
Food items and preparations:
Drying chilies
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