Arunachal MLA presents Keyi Panyor development vision at Global Food Summit in Bhutan

Arunachal Pradesh MLA Toko Tatung on Tuesday, September 1, presented the development vision for Keyi Panyor district at the inaugural plenary of the Global Conscious Food Systems Summit 2026 in Paro, Bhutan.

Tatung, who represents the Yachuli Assembly constituency, became the first legislator from Arunachal Pradesh to participate in the international summit, according to an official statement.

The summit is jointly hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with leaders, Indigenous representatives and scientists from 65 countries participating.

Speaking at a panel titled "Rising to the Moment: Igniting Consciousness to Address the Polycrisis", Tatung highlighted the Keyi Panyor Mission Plan 2040 (KPMP 2040), a long-term development framework launched on August 15, 2026.

He said the plan seeks to move beyond conventional five-year electoral cycles and establish a long-term vision for the district's development.

Tatung emphasised the need to integrate traditional ecological knowledge with modern science, saying sustainable development would require collaboration among farmers, scientists and local communities.

He said Keyi Panyor is being developed as India's first "Bio-Happy District" in collaboration with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), with the initiative seeking to link biodiversity conservation with human well-being and rural livelihoods.

Highlighting grassroots initiatives under the mission, the MLA referred to the Comprehensive Action Plan for Education (CAPE) and ongoing partnerships with the Participatory Action Research Coalition of India (PARCI) for promoting agroecology and natural farming.

"I do not want Keyi Panyor to become a smaller copy of Delhi or Singapore. I want Keyi Panyor to become the best possible Keyi Panyor," Tatung told the gathering.

The summit brought together policymakers, scientists, Indigenous representatives and other stakeholders to discuss sustainable and conscious food systems and approaches to addressing interconnected global challenges.