CSE to organise Farmers' Market on Jan 30

A Delhi-based green body will organise a Farmers' Market here where visitors will get an opportunity to learn about healthy and natural food.
"Our research has found various contaminants and unwanted substances in human food - be it antibiotics or pesticides, to name a few of these.
"In order to further its objective of promoting natural and good food, we are organising a Farmers' Market on January 30," Centre for Science and Environment said.
The participants in the farmers' market will include individual farmers, farmer collectives like Kheti Virasat and their produce such as grains and vegetables which will be on display as well as be available for purchase.

Visitors will also have the option of sampling dishes made out of natural ingredients.
"We eat relatively good homemade and locally grown food only because we are not rich. As we proceed on the wealth ladder, the business of food also changes - moves to industrial and processed food. Unfortunately, this also means we will move down the food-nutrition ladder unless we put protective systems in place.

"CSE has been a strong advocate of what we call 'good food' - food that is good for nature (rich in biodiversity), nutrition (not junk food and without poisons) and livelihoods (where local people derive benefits)," said CSE Director General Sunita Narain while underlining the importance of good food.

She said that CSE published its book, 'First Food' few years ago in which the body celebrated the diversity of such food and recipes from across the country. To take this work forward CSE is organising an Organic farmers' market," she said.
The Market will also have a number of demonstrations which include how to make compost, how to put together the right ingredients for a pot to grow plants, how to create a healthy plate and a cooking demonstration.
"How can we continue to eat local food, built on local biodiversity? How do we improve food safety without deploying inspectors who destroy small and local good food businesses, but do not hurt the ever-evolving and sophisticated industry of global food? These are critical questions. We are running out of time in the food-health trajectory," Narain said.

The stalls at the market will sell various products such as organic vegetables, millets, dishes staples, breads and dairy products while sessions on traditional and natural food, food and health, air pollution and other issues important in preserving good health will be held.