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[permaculture] BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bhutan puts farms before markets
- From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
- To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org, SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU
- Subject: [permaculture] BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bhutan puts farms before markets
- Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 02:38:06 -0400
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bhutan puts farms before markets
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4155878.stm>
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Shunned global economy
Inspired by their much-loved King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who believes that compassion must replace competition, the Bhutanese government has shunned the global economy and is protecting the rural economy with subsidies and tariffs.
Bhutan hopes to stem the brain drain of its young to the West
They have reversed their school curriculum's urban bias to produce "educated farmers" and have given grants to increase and diversify crop production and boost traditional crafts.
They have brought electricity and distributed health centres to the very remotest regions. They have devolved power to local councils and are researching Gross National Happiness as a more inclusive measurement of progress than Gross National Product.
Last year 80 scholars from around the world were invited to discuss how Bhutan would operate this revolutionary concept.
Internalised into the price of the product, the want to include the external costs to people and the environment of goods made with virtual slave labour and no environmental standards criss-crossing the globe. Only then will local trade be cheaper than global.
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- [permaculture] BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bhutan puts farms before markets, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 08/18/2005
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