Bid to capture lost glory

When patrons and organisers of Annam, a national food and agro-biodiversity festival anchored in Kerala, were on the run-up to the first edition of the festival in Thiruvananthapuram, in 2008, the stock question from the doubters was – “But why do we need to highlight benefits of food diversity here? Is Kerala really under threat of a junk food revolution?”   

Seven years later, people who launched the festival are busy putting together its third edition; the questions, they say, are best answered in research papers and medical reports that trace a rise in incidence of ailments linked to dietary habits. For them, the more pertinent question now would be – “How long could we afford to look away from the threat and brand food diversity and healthy eating habits as some kind of niche food activism?”

Annam is an initiative that promotes local agro-biodiversity and fights monopolies in food and agriculture. The programme is led by Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), a NGO based in Thiruvananthapuram, with support from the departments of agriculture and food and civil supplies. Navdanya, a movement that promotes biodiversity conservation, the Slow Food International and other organisations are associated with the Annam movement that has activist Dr Vandana Shiva as its chairperson. The second edition of the festival was held in Kozhikode, in 2010.

The organisers call Annam a movement; beyond ensuring the staples of a well-attended food festival that showcases a diverse spread, they have tried to build awareness on good food through interactions that involve experts, facilitate greater understanding of largely unexplored local, and healthy, cuisine and are now proposing to work with the government toward potentially crucial policy shifts. Annam 2015 – scheduled to be held at Rajendra Maidan in Kochi from December 10 to 14 – will see food experts, nutritionists, conservationists, policy-makers, environmentalists and farmers come together and discuss a road-map to recapture the “lost glory” of local food traditions.

For the passive foodie, it’s perhaps convenient to look at the event also as a part-indulgent rewind to glorious food traditions from the past. Dr C Suresh Kumar, chief co-ordinator of Annam and General Secretary of CISSA, tries to put things in perspective when he links the rise in food-related ailments to depleting diversity in the modern-day food basket. “Most of us have drifted to unhealthy diets that offer no diversity either, leading to major health issues. In Kerala, the incidence of diabetes has been found to be four times the national average. The rates of cancer, coronary ailments and infertility are getting alarmingly high as well. About 70 per cent of our ailments could be traced to the food we have. It’s not only about returning to the roots; it’s also about returning to healthier, safer food,” says Dr Suresh, a paediatrician.

Annam 2015 will feature an exhibition with about 250 stalls, workshops on organic farming and food processing and ethnic food stalls apart from cultural shows. A food-based photography contest will be held on the festival’s sidelines. As part of a national seminar based on the theme ‘Food, Health and Youth’, experts will speak on good nutrition and its links with mental, physical and emotional well-being. Presentations at the seminar are expected to cover topics that include technologies for processing locally sourced food. World Wide Fund for Nature, Dr Salim Ali Foundation, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, National Rural Health Mission and the Centre for Folklore Studies are among the participant organisations.

K G Venugopal, Secretary-General of Annam 2015, says a national event on such a scale is crucial in bringing back the focus on the culture of safe food. “The idea is not to completely undermine contemporary, commercial food practices. It’s our way of introducing to a younger generation the nutrient-rich, diverse indigenous cuisines we have, also by bringing together experts on the festival's platform,” he says. The organisers are trying to reach out to younger generations with the idea of healthy snacks and beverages. They also plan to have celebrities endorse the good food movement under Annam.

So what would be the big takeaway from Annam? Will the festival also lead to concerted follow-up action toward change in the way governments approach the idea of food diversity? The promoters of the event propose sustainable models in agriculture, food and health practices but are the policy-makers listening? Dr Suresh says an overhaul of government policies on the subject is imperative; from fresh subsidy approaches that bolster organic farming initiatives to greater integration of healthy food in medical treatment, measures have to be bold and forward-looking. “For a start, the hospitals should look at inclusive models of healthcare. The shift from medicine-driven model to a system that also integrates extensive dietary advice is a need of the times. Food has to be brought into the mainstream discourse on healthcare,” he says.

An informed discourse will be key in a state that is also witnessing the flip side of the organic boom as passionate, though uninitiated, farmers fail to achieve desired results and new market forces emerge. “Ironically, the organic fertiliser lobbies are also a reality we have to live with. But more importantly, there’s a need to bring in balance along with enthusiasm. We talk about grains produced per acre but don’t discuss the levels of nutrition from these grains. The small-scale, multi-crop model is the way forward,” says Dr Suresh.