Plan to shorten linkages between farmers and food consumers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ANNAM- Good Food Movement will be initiating steps to shorten the linkages between farmers and the consumers of good food, Chair Person of the Movement Vandana Shiva said here on today.

Dr. Shiva was announcing the third Annam National Food and Agro Festival, to be held in Kochi from December 10 to 14, at a Star hotel in the city.

She said that the farmer obtained only one per cent of the price of potato chips sold by the corporate. About 60 farmers had committed suicide this year (on account of dwindling incomes).

Dr. Shiva said that every second child in the country was stunted for want of nourishment while the number of obese people had increased from seven per cent in 1995 to 25 per cent by 2005. “This is a wakeup call against what we call fake food. The Festival will provide an opportunity for the younger generation to see and taste traditional food.”

Organic farming was the gift from India to the World. The younger generation should not lose the skill.

She said that Kerala should be on the red alert as its paddy fields were disappearing. Elsewhere, cultivation of dal was dwindling, leading to price rise. The rest would be destroyed by dumping.

The Good Food Movement is a people’s movement initiated by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action, Navdanya, The Slow Food International and several like-minded organisations. The Festival will show case the rich diversity of Indian food, agriculture and native culinary ethos.