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Food that sustains.

Impact That Last

We partner with rural farmers to revive traditional crops, grow sustainable agriculture, and bring nutritious Bhutanese food to every home.
Choose Shaoulee and you support fair prices, women’s employment, and a more self-reliant national food system.

Shaoulee Since 2013

Bhutan's
Women-Led Food Enterprise

Who We Are
Shaoulee Food Products is a Bhutanese food enterprise working to revive local agriculture and strengthen the country’s food security. What started in 2013 as a small commercial venture has grown into a mission-driven company that supports farmers, champions indigenous grains, and puts clean, nutritious food on Bhutanese tables.

Our belief is simple: Bhutan’s traditional crops and rural communities hold the key to a more self-reliant future. Everything we do follows from that, guided by fairness, sustainability and community wellbeing.
Shaoulee partners with more than 4,500 farmers across Bhutan to source indigenous cereals—such as buckwheat, millet, maize, and barley—that are naturally suited to Bhutan’s climate and ecology. These grains are processed using low-impact technologies that preserve nutritional value while ensuring safe, high-quality products for consumers. From flours and grits to fermented foods and soy-based items, Shaoulee transforms locally grown crops into affordable, healthy alternatives to imported products. Our short, transparent supply chain connects farmers directly to households, markets, and institutions, ensuring fair prices and dependable market access.

Shaoulee was founded as a response to Bhutan’s increasing reliance on imported grains and the declining viability of farming in rural areas. For decades, farmers received low returns for their crops, discouraging cultivation and accelerating rural–urban migration.
By paying significantly above market rates and offering stable purchase commitments, Shaoulee restores dignity and opportunity to farming communities. The enterprise champions indigenous crops—many of which are climate-resilient and nutrient-rich—to protect Bhutan’s agricultural heritage and strengthen long-term food self-reliance.
Above all, Shaoulee places social and environmental responsibility at the center of its business model, inspired by the philosophy of Gross National Happiness.

Shaoulee’s impact extends far beyond food production. The enterprise uplifts thousands of rural families by ensuring fair income, stable livelihoods, and renewed interest in traditional farming. Over 90% of the company’s workforce consists of women, creating pathways for financial independence, leadership, and skill development. Our work also contributes to biodiversity conservation by promoting climate-resilient crops that require fewer inputs and thrive in Bhutan’s natural environment. Through community engagement, training, and advocacy, Shaoulee helps strengthen local supply chains, reduce import dependency, and build a future where Bhutanese homes are nourished by Bhutanese food. Every product we produce carries the story of farmers, women, and communities working together for a more sustainable and self-reliant Bhutan.

Meet our Founder

Pema Lhadon

Pema Lhadon founded Shaoulee on a simple but powerful conviction: Bhutan’s farmers deserve fair opportunity, and Bhutan’s people deserve clean, nutritious, locally grown food. What began as a modest processing unit in 2013 now supports more than 4,500 farmers across the country.

With deep respect for Bhutan’s agricultural heritage, she built Shaoulee on fairness, sustainability and compassion. Under her leadership the company pays farmers well above market rates, promotes indigenous and climate-resilient crops, and holds environmental care as a core commitment.

As a woman entrepreneur, Pema has also built a workplace where women thrive. Today more than 90% of the Shaoulee team are women who gain skills, steady income and the chance to lead.

Her vision reaches past business. She is set on strengthening Bhutan’s food self-reliance, reducing import dependence, and inspiring a new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs. Through Shaoulee, Pema shows how a purpose-driven enterprise can transform communities and add to Bhutan’s long-term wellbeing.

Nourishing Communities,

Empowering Farmers

From Bhutan’s pristine valleys to your table, Shaoulee brings you wholesome grains grown with care and processed with purpose. Every purchase supports more than 4,500 farming families and strengthens the nation’s journey toward food self-reliance.
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