The Community Support Initiative, piloted under the SAFE Forest Ecopreneur Incubation Program, is designed to enhance collaboration between SMEs and local communities by promoting sustainable resource management, expanding market access, and generating livelihood opportunities. This pilot serves as a testing ground for practical models of SME–community partnerships, with insights gained helping to refine and scale the approach. Going forward, the program will integrate community support more prominently as a central element of the incubation process.
On 12th September, a Joint Consultation Meeting was held with key stakeholders, including UNEP, the Department of Forest and Park Services, the National Biodiversity Centre, SMEs such as Kingdom Essence and Gurjo Herbal Tea, and the Climate Change and Environmental Law Clinic at Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law. The session was facilitated by the Project Team from the Loden Foundation and Impact Hub Thimphu.
The consultation aimed to review and validate the proposed modality of the Community Support Initiative. Through active dialogue, the model was refined to ensure it is both realistic and adaptable, while stakeholder inputs from diverse perspectives strengthened its relevance and applicability.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in fostering sustainable enterprises, empowering communities, and advancing Bhutan’s long-term environmental and economic resilience. We extend our gratitude to all stakeholders for their valuable contributions, insights, and commitment to this shared vision.
