For many people, it’s easy to grasp the principles of Gross National Happiness on an intellectual basis but harder to visualize what that might mean in practical terms.

Here in Vermont — where jobs come from tourism and farming, where we cherish our local environment to the extent that billboards are banned, and where we are rapidly embracing the localvore movement — one program recently came to light that seems a GNH no brainer.

That program was started by Hans Estrin, a young science teacher in Putney, Vermont.   Distressed about how little local food was being served in the school’s cafeteria, he took steps to change that equation.  (See the full article at http://www.reformer.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=15281797&siteId=510).

Using a GNH prism, this program is a clear winner — it promotes the well being of children, farmers, the environment, and those who make their living in the tourist industry.  Plus, it’s good food!

For me, the question then becomes, what policies should be enacted at all levels to support local food in our public schools?  What should parents and the schools do? How about local, state and federal government entities? There is the challenge and the opportunity of GNH.

What programs do you know about, in Vermont or elsewhere, that provide a good illustration of the GNH paradigm?  We’d love to know about them!