People in Gujarat thronged a food festival promoting healthy lifestyle, natural living and organic farming in the state.
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The three-day organic food festival 'Prakrut' began in Rajkot city on December 19 where organic farmers from across the country are exhibiting their produce and traditional food recipes.
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The festival has been organized by Saurashtra Sajeev Kheti Abhiyaan, a farmers' group promoting organic farming in the state.
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The food festival - which was in its third year - also aims to connect farmers involved in organic practices with the consumers.
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"Here at Rajkot, we youngsters have organised an organic food festival called 'Prakrot 2015'. This is our third edition. We believe in food for health, because health comes from basic food. We believe that if flies do not hover around food or if the food is not kept in the open, it is healthy. But it is not so. Foods that have roots and grow under the soil carry most of the toxins which enter our body," said one of the organizers, Himanshu Limbasiya.
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Local dishes, fruits and vegetables, popular food items like lassi (a sweet or savoury Indian drink made of yogurt), golgappas (a street snack - round, hollow balls that are fried and filled with a mixture of flavored water, and a spicy mixture), thepla (stuffed flat bread) and buttermilk were prepared in an organic method to tease the taste buds of the visitors.
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"After I saw so many food stalls, I got confused which one should I visit first. First I tasted Gujarati dish which is prepared by mixing all vegetables. Then I tasted meetha pooda (sweet pancake) and the popular buttermilk was also simply delicious. Also curd in clay bowl was yum. Everyone must come here at least once in a lifetime," said a visitor.
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Apart from food items, the festival also showcased workshops and educational videos.
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The visitors were happy to be a part of a movement that is growing in cities all around the world in an age when genetically modified foods have taken over most of the world produce.
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"I have come here for the organic food festival. This is a very good place. We got to see many new things and the golgappas were too sumptuous. They are absolutely organic and made differently," said a student, Mansi Vadhera.
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According to India Organic Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020, the market for organic food in India is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 25 percent during 2015-20.
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A noteworthy trend that is being observed is gradual emergence of organic food as an essential part of the daily diet among the upper class population in India.
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Moreover, in light of the health benefits associated with consumption of organic food and rise in the number of diseases on account of excessive chemical contamination of conventional food, the preference for organic food is growing rapidly.
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In consonance with the growing health consciousness among consumers, restaurants and food chains in major cities are also adopting organic food products.
