Project Dates

Start: 2009

The Story

Mountain Hazelnuts was founded in 2009 as Bhutan’s first 100% foreign direct investment with a mission to create a profitable business that provides long-term income for vulnerable rural communities by planting hazelnut trees that restore degraded mountain slopes. Mountain Hazelnuts has since established fully traceable hazelnut production and exported to Australia,
Singapore, and Japan.
Mountain Hazelnuts works with more than 8000 families in 19 of Bhutan’s 20 districts to provide additional income-generating opportunities. The company has integrated about 3,500 women-led farming households in its value chain.
Grower partners are provided with hazelnut trees and inputs, plus training on best agricultural practices, followed by regular extension visits. Mountain Hazelnuts has also established a 10% profit-sharing system for these partners, which will take effect once the company becomes profitable (projected by 2029).
Mountain Hazelnuts buys all harvested nuts according to a guaranteed price structure that removes market risk for the growers and ensures a profitable crop. The company transports the nuts to its processing plant for further drying, size sorting, and various value-adding processes.

Success Factor | Hero Moment

Mountain Hazelnuts has planted 1M+ trees on 6000 acres of fallow land. The cultivation of hazelnuts at unprecedented altitudes will be associated with the storage of approximately half a million tonnes of CO2e, therefore contributing to climate change mitigation.

Climate-resilient hazelnut grafting has doubled harvests (5 to 10t). The company is pursuing Bhutan’s 1st Rainforest Alliance cert & establishing 150 to 300 cooperatives nationwide.

Submitter

Mountain Hazelnuts