In June 2008, Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai, India, gave a keynote speech on "Global Agriculture at the Crossroads - Pathway to an Era of Biohappiness" at the World Conference on In-Vitro Biology held at Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. He urged the need to consider biohappiness as a tool to address ecological sustainability issues in order to face the impact of climate change. Biohappiness was defined as a product of conservation, sustainable and equitable use of bioresources and the blending of traditional wisdom with frontier technologies. The concept was well received by the global audience, particularly the scientists and research students and those involved in developing a practical plan to achieve developmental goals.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rajeshwari Anand, former project leader of coastal systems research at MSSRF, took the advice and guidance of Prof. Swaminathan to establish the Resource Center for Ecohappiness in Arizona as an educational outreach program. Dr. Anand lives in Arizona and is well connected with communities and research institutions in the US southwest. The Center was registered under the Arizona Corporation Commission in August 2008 and amended as Resource Center for Global Ecohappiness in 2010. The Center was also registered as a non-profit organization exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service in 2010.