The Happiness Farm

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Sustainability and Empowerment Policy

The Happiness Farm, Paro, Bhutan · Version 2026 · Reviewed every year

How The Happiness Farm, Bhutan’s first regenerative eco farm stay, protects the environment, empowers women, avoids plastic and keeps food healthy and safe.

Regenerative, not just sustainable. Sustainable means doing less harm. Regenerative means giving back more than we take: building living soil through organic farming, planting native trees towards our pledge of one million, drying our harvest with sun and wind, and growing skills and jobs for local women and young people.

Our commitment

The Happiness Farm is committed to sustainability, to empowering women and to organic farming, in line with national goals for agriculture and tourism. We lead by example: we use renewable energy where we can, avoid plastic, and put health and safety first in our kitchen.

1. Sustainability

  • Renewable energy: we give priority to renewable energy, such as solar and wind, including for drying our fruit and vegetables, to reduce our carbon footprint
  • Organic farming: our farms in Paro and the Punakha Valley are farmed organically, without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers. We feed the soil with our own compost and protect biodiversity and soil health
  • Our own produce first: more than 22 kinds of fruit and vegetables grow on our farms, so most of what we serve travels only a short distance from field to plate
  • Trees for the future: guests plant native trees on the farm, and Tree Members help care for our apple, Japanese pear and walnut orchard
  • Bhutan Horticulture Association: we are a proud member and share knowledge and good practice with our community

2. Empowering women

  • Women in farming and hospitality: we provide training, resources and opportunities for women in our community, and actively hire and promote women in our team
  • Children and young people: we welcome families, schools, colleges, universities, farmers, researchers and anyone interested in agriculture and organic farming to learn where their food comes from, how it is grown organically, and why healthy, chemical-free food matters for the body
  • Building skills: we run workshops on sustainable farming, business management and leadership

3. No plastic

  • No single-use plastic: single-use plastic items are not used anywhere in our operations
  • Glass bottles only: drinking water is served in glass bottles, never plastic
  • Reusable alternatives: we encourage guests to bring reusable containers and offer alternatives to plastic wherever we can

4. Healthy cooking

  • No MSG: we never use monosodium glutamate (MSG). Our food gets its flavour from fresh, organic, local ingredients
  • Wholesome meals: every meal is prepared with healthy ingredients and sustainable practices

5. Safety and health

  • Food safety: our kitchen team is trained in safe food handling, preparation and storage, following our Standard Operating Procedures, which are based on the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority’s hygiene criteria
  • Guest safety: we check our facilities regularly to make sure every area meets safety rules and standards

6. Review

This policy is shared with all staff and partners and reviewed every year.

Contact

We believe that by farming sustainably, empowering women and keeping our guests and community healthy and safe, we can make a lasting, positive difference to the environment and to society.