SHILLONG: The North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) organised the first ever Mei-Ramew Market on Friday with an aim to popularise local food.
“We have been working in about 41 villages to highlight the local food system,” NESFAS Chairman Phrang Roy told The Shillong Times.
Roy said the diversity of crops in the State has a global recognition and “NESFAS is helping communities to realise that they are sitting on a pot of gold”.
NESFAS makes sure that the farm produce sold at the market are organic. “If they are trying to sell commercial crops here in the name of shifting cultivation, then we will disqualify them in the future and the community guarantees it,” said Roy.
About NESFAS’ initiatives in schools, Roy said the organisation has introduced a number of wild edibles with nutritional values in the midday meal menu. “We tried it and the children liked it very much,” he added. NESFAS is also trying to promote millet by making pancakes and put bananas and local honey on it.
“We are training a number of these village as well as MDM cooks. We are trying this in one or two villages, if they are successful then they can influence the midday meals in schools,” Roy added.
He lamented that despite having a rich bio-diversity, micro-nutrient deficiency is a concern. When asked about the high demand for fast food, Roy said, “In fast food, they have used the level of salt and sugar at a level in which the taste becomes addictive. This is a big challenge.”
“The use of synthetic products and use of sugar and salt is bad for our health. We have problems of obesity, blood pressure and diabetes,” he said and added that the traditional food system does not create the same problems.
Stating that western countries have realised the effects of fast food, he said, “In New York, they have banned Coca-Cola in schools because the young population suffers from diabetes.”
Eri silk
Referring to eri silk from Ri Bhoi, Roy said the designs used are original and “we have not allowed any alteration”.
There is no other place in the world where silk is produced organically, he added.
