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Celebrating the revival of traditional nutritious food and conservation of agro biodiversity |
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Treading though the stalls at the Sattvik festival, one can realise the regional diversity in culture, art, craft, folk traditions, biodiversity and culinary methods of our country. However, this unique diversity is slowly getting lost, thanks to the more glamorous fast-food advertising on Indian billboards. Sattvik, therefore, aims to consciously revive these traditions which are a sine qua non to sustaining the nutritional and cultural richness of the society and prosperity of the rural community. Sri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Agriculture while inaugurating Sattvik, the social event attended by nearly 40,000 people rightly said, that the sincere efforts should be made through festive events like Sattvik for the all round benefit of small farmers. |
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"SATTVIK - the festival to revive traditional nutritious food and associated knowledge systems was started fifteen years ago in Ahmedabad small farmers and for conserving agro- biodiversity. The fast disappearance of traditional nutritious recipes from our modern kitchens due to the influence
It is leading to lifestyle diseases like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. The festival made an attempt to revive the traditional forgotten recipes through cooking contests and direct sale of raw and processed agro products.
This year the Festival was held from December 22-25, 2018 at the Ahmedabad Education Society Ground, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad.
Main events of Sattvik included: Farmers fair of organic and eco friendly agro- products, Expert talks on food and health, Sale of crafts and pottery items made by the villagers, Performance of tribal dance and songs, Exhibition of Grassroots Innovations, Cultural programs by local artists, Creating markets for nutritious traditional as well as some contemporary recipes and Recipe competition for recipes with at least one ingredient consisting of an uncultivated plant or plant part which is otherwise thrown away as waste.
The festival was inaugurated on 22 December, 2018 by Sri Parshuttam Singh Rupala - the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He released two books titled ‘Hunnar Mahasagar’ authored by Gangaba Yagnik, third edition and ‘Jaivik Paak Sangrakshan’ published by SRISTI Innovations. The first day of the festival saw the preparation and sale of five hundred traditional cuisines being served by the stall holders.
In his inaugural address Sri Parshottam Rupala suggested that the successful agricultural practices adopted by the rural farmers should be made available with the government call centres, so that they are easily accessible in every corner of the country. He assured that the ministry would take direct action in this regard. Emphasis was laid on encouraging the farmers to do research in order to design more farm implements like Bullet Shanti and get all the findings patented. The chief guest promised to extend maximum help for the all-round welfare of the innovator farmers by creating a market for them. He also said that such festivals should be organised at the district level for the benefit of local farmers.
Sri Ramesh Patel, Secretary SRISTI explained that SRISTI has been organising Sattvik food festival for the past fifteen years with the aim of extending benefits to the innovative small farmers and creating a direct link between them and the consumers. Prof Anil Gupta mentioned that Sattvik was initiated as a stepping stone for market creation of the rural for the organic biodiverse farmers and give their innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge due recognition on the global platform. National Awards given by the President of India to the selected innovators and outstanding traditional knowledge holders are a genuine way to recognise the work. Awardees can then file for patent rights.
SRISTI organised a recipe contest to popularise forgotten cuisines created from minor millets. Thirty five w omen participants cooked 160 food items live after which three participants were given special recognition for their culinary efforts by the chief guest.
Parijat ane Saragva (drumstick) na paan no halwo, Phanas (jackfruit) na lot ni sukhdi, Mulana danda (raddish stalks) nu aathanu, Bilani (stone apple) barfi , Borsali no sharbat, Shingoda (water chesnut) no Halwo, Leela Nariyal (coconut) malaino kheer, Palak (spinach) no halwa, Alsi (sesame) ni chakki, Saragva (drumstick) ne poi (Malabar spinach) naa paan ni baati
, chhani bor (Zizypus sp.) no juice , Shakariya (cassava) na gulab jamun, sowani (dill) kadhi saathe jav naa phada, leeli haldar(turmeric) no halwo, Kelani chaal (raw banana peel) no shaak, baans (bamboo) na chokhani raab, isabgul no halvasan and beet na paan na patra were some of the traditional, delicious and healthy recipes prepared.
Sattvik.sristi.org aims to link cultural, technological and institutional creativity and innovations in the field of crop production. It aims towards creating and stimulating demand for farmers’ organic production and encourages the small farmers to cultivate rare or less cultivated nutritionally rich crop varieties. Once the less known but nutrient-rich food from various states are served on the plate of urban communities it will not only lead to healthier food habits and lifestyle but also to an increased demand of the said crops/varieties and thus help in conservation of agro-biodiversity.
Khedut Haat (Farmers market) was the primary focus of many visitors during the festival. Arrangements were made for organic farmers to increase interactions among themselves. A total of 160 farmers participated in this market out of which 70 were women farmers from organisations such as SEWA, Swabhoomi and Paryavaran Shikshan Kendra. The participant farmers were able to sell their products directly to the consumers without passing through intermediaries like middlemen. Seeing the demand, GIAN has set up a year round organic farmers store at the office premises in Satellite Complex, Mansi Circle, Ahmedabad.
A survey of the various stalls of Khedut Haat revealed that the organic farmers were using leftover buttermilk, watermelon juice, gram flour, jaggery, coconut water, algae, broom powder, etc., as components of manure. Neem powder, mint powder, neem oil, green chilli and Aakdo (Calotropis) were also used as organic pesticides.
Sale of items like organic groundnut, groundnut oil, sesame oil, organic wheat, soybean, garlic, minor millets, grains, pulses, spices, vegetables, root crops and processed butter from cow milk. Processed products of gooseberry, Aloe vera, organic jaggery, pickles, sauces, syrups, khakra and papad (flatbreads) and herbal mouth fresheners were a major attraction for the urban consumers. Several exotic rice varieties (red rice, black rice, Kollam rice, Krishna kaamod) were also put up for sale.
A kitchen garden workshop was jointly conducted by GREENSHALA, Grambharati and SRISTI, aiming to provide training to the city dwellers. Participants received saplings of tomato, eggplant, Stevia and manure etc. as a start- up kit.
The festival displayed a grand diversity of traditional food items, folk art and cultural activities from Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu apart from Gujarat. The total number of stalls put up by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare were 50 while 95 stalls sold hot and fresh cooked food.
The various food items served in the stalls organised by different states included soups, patties flatbreads, porridges, steamed cereal cakes, spiced milk and sweet meats e.g. Seedu, Baavta Na Ladoo, Khaatloo, Raagi Shaakariya Makai Patties, Mahuda na rotla, Kolu Kaakdi Na Maandvaa, Haalaro Ghutto, Sattu Parantha, Phaadani Khichdi saathe Tamata Osaman, Leela Shingodanu Patties, Kodri Ni Gheinss, Leela Chana No Halwo, Potli Dhokli, Raagi no Shiro, Kindla Limbo Sharbat, Mag na Poodla, Soya Paneer Vegetable Khichdi, Khajoor Anjeer Vedmi, Haandi Dahi, Pahadi Paratha, Daal Pakwaan Panki, Sprouted Raagi Chaat, Lila Nariyal – Kacha Kela na Vada, Panela, Kothmir Vadi, Kaanji Vada, Magphalina Patarvelia, Shingodano Halwo, Jav Kulthi No Soup, Maatla Undhiyu, Chokha na Maanda, Surti Ponk Tikki, Naariyal Badaam no chaas ane Masala doodh.
GIAN organised a community food laboratory to encourage hands- on experimentation with some unique and innovative recipes using unconventional ingredients. A unique feature this time was the usage of brass and mud potteries for cooking. GIAN made an innovation maze which was popular amongst children and grown-ups alike. It also ran several workshops for children. Robot Fun Lab team conducted a session on learning through Lego. Children were encouraged to gain hands-on experience of learning electronics and constructing low cost solar cooker made from cardboard. Children participated in various activities like craft, card making, carpentry, origami, etc., organised by other groups.
Sattvik also hosted an innovation exhibition. The innovators directly discussed their ideas with the visitors asking for suggestions towards further improvement in the design of the displayed farm machineries.
A special corner of the festival was dedicated to the young creative children of the society. The creativity of the children was judged through poster competitions based on the themes of Energy, Water Conservation and Environment. Several batches of school children from rural and urban background took part in the competition. A discussion session was conducted by Professor Gupta with the primary and secondary school students focusing on how to solve problems and understand the pain of other living beings around us within the ecosystem. He delightfully recognised the innovation ‘Discipline Bracelet’ of a student from a Government School in Thaltej which would help monitor a student’s behaviour in a class.
These four days of festivity saw special sessions related to healthy lifestyles which included talks by leading doctors like Dr V N Shah, Zydus Hospital, Dr Dinesh Pandya, Director, Ayurveda, Gujarat Government, Dr Vial Shah, Physiotherapist, Dr Keyur Buchh, CIMS on healthy bones and avoiding joint pains etc. Various practitioners of yoga, ayurveda and physiotherapy also enlightened the visitors through their discussions and demonstrations.
The cultural activities included a Kavi Sammelan graced by the presence of Sri Raghubir Chaudhry (Gyanpith awardee). Other poets namely Madhav Ramanuj, Harsh Brahm Bhatt, Rajesh Vyas, Daksha Vyas, Radhika Patel and Anil Chavda also enchanted the audience with their compositions. The festival arena witnessed folk dance and music by the tribal people of Gujarat rendering a rustic touch to the entire atmosphere.
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 29(4) & 30(1) ,34-37, 2019 |
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