By Our Reporter
Shillong: December 10 is celebrated annually as Slow Food International’s Terra Madre (Mother Earth) Day. This is the day when Slow Food’s networks of farmers, herders, fisher folks, cooks, students and young people and partners such as The Indigenous Partnership, Italy led by Phrang Roy come together to proclaim that a sustainable food revolution begins from local roots. In 2010 there were more than 1150 events over 120 countries.
Last year on November 17, the Mawphlang William Boys Home with support of various local organizations organized a Food Festival inaugurated by Dr Carlo Petrini, Founder and President of Slow Food, Italy. The event brought together local communities to demonstrate and display their local cuisines.
The event also encouraged communities from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and have open discussions.
This year, the Khatar Shnong Socio Organisation (KSO) Sohra and the William Boys Home, Mawphlang with support of The Indigenous Partnership, Slow Food International, NERCORMP, MRDS, the Directorate of Horticulture, the Meghalaya Water Foundation and Hima Mawphlang will help re-create the success of last year’s event and organize the Festival on 10 December at Mawphlang.
“Keeping in line with the Terra Madre Day celebrations around the world, this Festival will also be called the Mei-Ramew Festival, to honour Khasi, Garo and Ao Naga traditional local food systems,” said Phrang Roy.
The Festival will start at 10 am and there will be about 20 stalls of local food prepared by different Khasi, Garo and Ao Naga communities.
There will also be seminars where local communities can share ideas of networking locally and globally with the organisers.
A Chef from the ITC Hotels of India, Rahul Antao and Annalie Bernhart a representative of the Slow Food movement have come to join in the Festival and share ideas with local Chefs concerned about good, clean and fair food and with young people who are eager to promote better food future.
There will be environmentally-inspiring games for young students and the Youth 4 Change (Y4C) young people will demonstrate Zero-Waste cuisines.