A curtain-raiser to the biennial 'Annam 2015', the national food and agro biodiversity festival organised as part of the 'Annam Movement' led by renowned environmentalist Vandana Shiva, was held here today.
State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Anoop Jacob inaugurated the curtain-raiser event, titled 'Anna Vilambaram', at a function at Gandhi Bhavan.
The minister said the state is fast becoming a haven of food sold in packets. "I don't have the opinion that we should keep away from modern food. We can have it once in a month or two. But a complete surrender to modern food would be disastrous," he said.
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The minister also said programmes like 'Annam 2015' would help his department's endeavours to intensify public vigil against the unabated invasion of junk food into homes, a release said here.
The forthcoming third edition of 'Annam 2015' is scheduled to be held in Kochi during December 10-14. It has been held biennially since 2008 with an aim to propagate the message of good food, local food and healthy food.
Hundreds of students took part in Anna Vilambaram programme and displayed their talent in traditional culinary by preparing certain bygone dishes of Kerala including 'Agathi Cheera Thoran', 'Muringa' leaf soup, besides 'Banana flower thoran.'
An exhibition with over 200 stalls, national seminar, organic farmers meet, cookery and photography competitions and cultural evenings will be part of Annam 2015.
The event is organised by voluntary organisation, Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA) in association with departments of Agriculture, Food and Civil Supplies of the Government of Kerala and a number of other government and non-government organisations.
The 'Annam' initiative is a bid to check the growth of the 'fast food' culture and preserve and promote local and traditional food items.
