sattvik report in english

Will you stand by the IPRs of peasants ?

Honey Bee Vol 14(4) & 15(1) October 2003 - March 2004

arious institutions that are a part of theHoney Bee Network (NIF, SRISTI,GIAN and IIMA) came together to

organize the Traditional Food Festival at IIMAcampus on February 28-29, 2004. The timing

was not accidental. February 28 is the FoundationDay of NIF and thus the Festival was alsoa way of celebrating NIF’s commitment todiversity, local knowledge and innovations basedon agro-biodiversity. The festival focused onfour objectives : (a) to stimulate demand of localcrops and their varieties from dry regions soas to generate market based incentives for theirconservation, (b) to generate feedback from thevisitors about the attributes they prefer in localvarieties and also in organic food, (c) toorganize competition among women and others

to identify recipes based on lesscommon or uncultivated plants andcreate awareness about organic foodin the cities for better consumerhealth as well as sustainability ofsoil and water use practices, and(d) to bring various institutionsworking for the cause of organicagriculture on a common platform.

The advantage of emerging demandfor organic food is being harnessedprimarily by gentlemen farmers whohave switched to organic agriculturein the recent past. Just as rich farmerscould derive greaterbenefit from thegreen revolution,there is fear that theorganic food marketmay similarly see theirdominance.

It is also importantto note that severalfactors have led to adecline in agro-biodiversity in ruralareas such asdiffusion of modernvarieties primarily bypublic agencies, changes inconsumer taste, declining demandfrom consumers as well as fromfood and agro processing industryfor dry land crops and their varieties,lack of public procurement andprice support policy, etc.

Honey Bee Network has beendocumenting peoples’ knowledge andinnovations about biodiversity as wellas other resources. As a part of anon-going research at IIMA andSRISTI, dialogues have been heldwith the industry, researchers andother stakeholders about incentives forin situ conservation. Since many ofthe local varieties are also grownorganically, for lack of choice andoptions as poor farmers cannot affordinputs, demand for these varieties alsoreinforces demand for organicproducts.

Diversity of crops and other fooditems is closely linked with culturaldiversity. One cannot conserve onewithout the other. The TraditionalFood Festival, thus, also became anoccasion to celebrate diversity ofculture, creativity in cuisine and

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Prof. Bakul Dholakia, Director IIMA,inaugurating the festival

The farmer group from Panchmahal district atthe festival

The Honey Bee Network has been promoting the cause of compulsive organic farmers in dry regions, hill areasand forest regions for quite some time. These farmers are not well organized, often uneducated, dispersed, andill connected to urban markets and institutions. Can the Traditional Food Festival help in stimulating demandfor products of such farmers — this was the question we wanted to answer. Many of these farmers have had todiversify their cropping pattern to deal with environmental fluctuations. They grew minor millets and local varietiesof various crops. Whether conservation of such crops and varieties could be facilitated by generating demandfor food recipes based on such crops and varieties was another question in our mind. To provide wider rangeto consumers, test their response and generate feed back, we involved transition farmers and NGOs selling organicproducts procured from such farmers in this first festival.

V

This report is based on contributions by members of the SRISTI team

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A Dialogue on People's Creativity, Experimentation & Innovation


conservation ethic. A book of traditional foodrecipes in Gujarati published by SRISTI was alsoreleased on the occasion and about 250 copieswere sold.

Prof. Bakul Dholakia, Director, IIMA, whileinaugurating the Food Festival emphasized theimportance of biological and food diversity presentin our culture. He regretted that a lot of restaurantstook great pride in offering Thai, Mexican or Italianfood. But one would not be able to sample recipesfrom different regions of Gujarat in the samerestaurant. He appreciated the efforts made bySRISTI and NIF which were trying to highlightthe knowledge and values of informal technologiesand institutions in our villages. He said that contraryto popular perception, IIMA was not indifferentto local knowledge and diversity. In fact,considerable work had been done in this fieldduring the last decade or so. He hoped that morefaculty members and students from the Institutewould join such efforts and help in conservingcultural, biological and food diversity for futuregenerations.

Organizing the Festival

Several institutions involved in organic farmingjoined hands with SRISTI to organize the festival.Jatan, was one such institution which was animportant part of the endeavour. It had earlierorganized food festivals for organic producers inseveral parts of Gujarat. In all, there were 40different stalls, primarily of food. Stalls dealingwith publications related to sustainable agriculturewere also there. Total sales at the festival amountedto Rs.2.8 lakh with maximum sales generated atthe farmers’ market where organic producers soldtheir products themselves.

There were many Gandhian organizations whichhad put up their stalls. These provided a completerange of organic products to the consumers.Farmers from Vadodara had brought organicvegetables which proved to be extremely popular.Kutch organic farmers had brought herbal value

added products made of Aloe veraand other such dry land plants. V SHospital had put up a stall to highlighttheir observation (based on scientificexperiments) that considerable healthimprovement was witnessed inspecific disease groups by feedingpatients with diet comprising minormillets.

One of the most popular stalls at theFestival was the stall by farmers fromSurjumi village of Panchmahal district.It had recipes based on local grainssuch as sweet laddu (Rs.10 per pieceof 40 g) made of Eleusine coracana.In addition, they sold various dishesmade of local varieties of maize,Setaria italica, Paspalumscorbiculatum, Cucumis callosus,Ficus glomerata, Cucurbita pepo,Oryza sativa, Zea mays, etc.

About 14,000 people visited thefestival during the two days that it wasorganized and consumed various fooditems and also bought fabrics dyedwith vegetable colours and treatedwith herbal extracts. A recipecompetition was also organized on theoccasion and was judged by theexecutive chef of Hotel Taj Umed,faculty from Institute of HotelManagement and other local food

experts.There was also considerableinterest among the representatives ofmajor hotels who had visited the foodfestival to present to their clientsspecial health based food menu cards.If this caught on and became a trend,it could herald a major breakthroughin the area of conserving agrobiodiversity. Demand for minor milletsand other crops from hotel industrycould provide incentives forconservation and production of thesehealth crops. Nutritional informationabout some of the food items wasalso displayed but this is an area wheremuch more research needs to be donebefore the next food festival.

The presence of a large number ofchildren was a welcome sign as ittranslated into their becoming moreaware about the idea of diversity.The media also took considerableinterest in the festival and theactivities like the recipe competition.Members of the media interactedwith the visitors. Many distinguishedcitizens including eminent Gandhianleaders, scientists, High Court Judgesand entrepreneurs also visited thefestival. The festival generatedsignificant appreciation from theIIMA community. Many were eagerto know when the next food festivalwould be organized.

Awareness and demand for organic

The impact of the festival could begauged from an on the spot surveythat revealed the estimated demandfor organic grains. The preference fororganic food was articulated by 422visitors who responded to thequestionnaire.

View of the Traditional Food Festival

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Demand for wheat was about 36 tons (251respondents), rice 16 ton (238), pearl millet (bajra)2 tons (127), edible oil 8.6 ton (176), jaggery 3ton (170), gram whole 2.7 ton (178), gram pulse(176), moong bean 2.4 ton (178), tur dal 4 ton(178), black gram 1.6 ton (118) and many othercommodities (Figures in parentheses indicatenumber of respondents).

When asked how many would like to read aboutorganic farming, more than 90 per cent showedinterest. In terms of promoting organic products,majority were interested in either helping byspreading the information by word of mouth orby purchasing these products. A few were willingto help as representatives or volunteers for variousactivities and a couple wanted to help by singingor writing songs. More than 50 per cent of therespondents said that such a festival should be

organized more often. About 20 percent of the men and 10 per cent ofthe women wanted access toinformation as well as organicproducts. While evaluating various

criteria for purchasing organicproducts, the quality of produce wasgiven the maximum rank followed byorganic certification, reliable sourceof supply, reasonable price andpackaging. Men placed moreemphasis on certification. Majority ofthe respondents had come to knowabout the festival through mediareports. Other sources includedfriends, hoardings on the road sideand staff of SRISTI, IIMA, NIF,GIAN and through the Loksarvaninewsletter. More than 70 per cent ofthe respondents were willing to pay10 to 15 per cent premium, 20 percent of the male and 11 per cent ofthe female respondents were willingto pay 16 to 20 per cent premium.About less than 10 per cent of therespondents (of the total 358respondents) were willing to paymore than 20 percent premium.

Another survey had been carried outby two students — Sudipta and Vijayaof Postgraduate Programme in AgriBusiness Management for a secondyear course at IIMA. The survey wasconducted essentially to study theorganic food market and consumerbehaviour. A sample of 40respondents, of which one third werewomen, was surveyed. More than 80per cent had monthly income of morethan Rs.15,000 and 30 per cent had aprofessional degree. About 95 percent defined organic food as onegrown without any chemicals and 80per cent considered organic food tohave been grown with organic

fertilizer and pesticides. Hardly six percent were aware about the proceduralrequirements for certification.Majority of the respondents were notwilling to pay any premium of morethan one or two per cent (a finding atvariance from the larger sample studydone at Food Festival, mentionedabove). Many consumers consideredthe goodwill of the retailer asignificantly more important factorthan certification. The demand forfood and vegetables was much higherthan grains and the ease of availabilitywas considered an important factorinfluencing purchase. Taste, trust andgoodwill seemed to be the threedifferentiating factors.

The Food Festival was quitesuccessful as a means of generatingawareness about crops and varietiesfor which consumption is almost non-

existent in urban areas and is goingdown even in rural areas. But whiledemand for organic food was quitehigh, supply was a major constraint.People's Action for Research andAssistance to Innovation andTraditional Knowledge Holders(Parakh) has taken a major initiative inthis regard.

One institution alone may not be ableto handle all these goals. Certificationof organically grown crops andlivestock produce — a crucial issue— will require a large network ofvolunteer inspectors knowledgeableabout agriculture to visit farmers.Much of the sourcing of organic foodis currently done on goodwill basis.Sadbhav SRISTI SanshodhanLaboratory will also have to play itsrole in testing soils and grains/vegetables for pesticide residues.

The festival became anoccasion to celebratediversity of culture,

creativity in cuisine andconservation ethic

Suggestions for the future

The next festival will have to include many newfeatures: (a) farmer to consumer interaction aboutlocal varieties and organic food, (b) at least halfthe stalls by local communities from dry regions,hill areas, forest areas and other such regionswhere farmers are, by and large, involved inorganic farming because of economic andecological reasons, (c) consumers to be organizedto visit organic farms where they can confirmthat the conditions of production are in line withtheir expectation and support the producers inproper grading, packaging and transportation, (d)provision of much more systematic informationon the nutritional, nutraceutical and other healthand environmental benefits of local varieties andorganic food, (e) databases on recipes as wellas more diverse source base books, (f) postersfor schools, colleges and other public and privateestablishments highlighting the importance ofsustainable food production and consumption,(g) special meetings of women to discuss theblending of traditional and modern recipes togenerate new tastes suitable for urban palate, (h)pre-festival and post-festival meetings with thehotel industry and other agro processingentrepreneurs to follow up on the demandgenerated during the festival, (i) interaction withmedical professionals, dieticians and consumersto understand the health aspects of organic foodand (j) consultation with policy makers as wellas food chains to generate demand fororganically grown, non-uniform grains andvegetables.

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Honey Bee Vol 16(1) January - March 2005

10

atvik 2004 – Second Traditional FoodFestival proved to be a unique way ofhighlighting diversity in cultures and tastes.

The ninety traditional recipes and dishes made oforganic produce from nine states was anindication of the rich and varied cuisine of thecountry. With its focus on traditional and organicfood, the two day festival (Dec 4-5, 2004), wasable to provide a rare opportunity for the urbanpeople to understand and appreciate use of diversecrop varieties and uncultivated plants. Itemphasized the importance of ‘voluntary’ organicfarming but also drew attention to often ignored‘compulsive’ organic farmers whose povertynecessitated their dependence on organic inputs.

Around 18,000 people visited the festival duringtwo days. It was organized by SRISTI, along withNational Innovation Foundation, GrassrootsInnovations Augmentation Network (GIAN),

Honey Bee Network and IIMA1.There were sixty stalls – a 50% percent increase in the number from theFirst Traditional Food Festival whichwas held on Feb 28-29, 2004. Ninestates were represented - Uttaranchal,Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and Gujarat. Thus, one couldtaste puttus from Tamil Nadu, dudika halwa from Uttaranchal or arishacakes from Orissa.

The response of the visitors wasoverwhelming. Sunda Ram Verma,who was manning Rajasthani stallsaid, “So many people came to tasteour dal bati choorma and pyazkachhori. Now they all know aboutour Shekhawati cuisine.” Verma is the

Honey Bee Network Collaborator forRajasthan and has been involved inscouting and documenting traditionalknowledge practices and grassrootsinnovations.

Organizations promoting organicfarming and produce such asSanskruti, Asal, Jatan Vitran Kendraand Vikalp had also put up their stalls.The Peermade Development Society(Kerala) stall sold ayurveda medicinessuch as thaleepatradi churnam,dashamoolambari lehyam andsahyadri dahasamini. GandhiVidyapeeth, Vedchhi, Gujarat had putup a stall where one could buy khadiclothes made with herbal dyes.Muslim women affected by theearthquake in 2001 had put the

Food for Thought – Satvik 2004Agrobiodiversity

S

The overwhelming success of the First Traditional Food Festival held during Feb 28-29, 2004, at the Indian Institute ofManagement, Ahmedabad, had helped emphasize the importance and relevance of such initiatives. This paved the wayfor Satvik 2004 – Second Traditional Food Festival. This became a platform that brought the urban and rural consumers,farmers, distributors and others interested in organic farming and conservation of agro-biodiversity together. Thefestival proved to be a great opportunity for generating awareness about traditional and organic food, varieties groupwhich were fast disappearing and also get the feedback of the visitors. This is crucial for any attempt aimed at preservingand enhancing the demand for traditional crop varieties and organic farming products. Purpose was also to do actionresearch on the determinants of consumer demand for local varieties of crops, organic food, and other green productsthat went with these.

1 EU supported project on Knowledge Network for Augmenting Grassroots Innovations, and IFPRI and CIDA supported project onIncentives for in situ conservation of agro-biodiversity at IIMA also helped in organizing the festival.


Honey Bee Vol 16(1) January - March 2005

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clothes made by them on sale. Besides this,creative games, educational activities and quizzeswere also organized for children.

The biggest draw, however, was the khedutmandal where vegetables and farm products wereon display. The large, fresh vegetables and fruitsproved to be irresistible for many. For instance,about 20 kg of bijoru, a large sized fruit belongingto the citrus family, was sold during the festival.Total sales at the festival exceeded rupees eightlakhs.

Another major highlight was the recipe competitionwhich was held on Dec 4, 2004. The 25participants mainly women from Gujarat and otherstates prepared dishes based on minor millets anduncultivated plants. The competition yielded a rich

harvest of traditional dishes such askele ke phool ka subzi (a dish madeof banana flowers). Some hadexperimented with the minor milletsand uncultivated plants and creatednew, delicious dishes. Thecompetition was judged byAmbarben Trivedi, head of thedepartment - food and nutrition, BArts College, Smitaben, faculty inSLU College and B B S Chauhan,Chief Chef-Hotel Inder Residency.Kaushik Deepti with her laddoo(made of soyabean, ragi, bunti, bawtaand coconut) and purla (made ofjowar and soyabean) was given thefirst prize. The second prize went toDamayanti G Segade who had made

two dishes from an uncultivated plantand pulses respectively. These werelooni ki bhaji and kulche ki sabzi.Kavita Kaushik Pathak won the thirdprize for kele ke phool ki subzi andladdoos in which she had used theseeds of the tulsi plant.

Seven varieties of minor millets andtwelve other grains were used inmany recipe s. The festival alsoprovided an opportunity for farmers,distributors and others interested inorganic farming to come together. Ameeting was held and various issuessuch as certification, marketing etc.,were discussed. It was felt that allthose who were involved in this fieldshould pool their knowledge andexpertise. The information which iscollated could be put up on a website.The idea of a helpline which wouldprovide information about placesfrom where one could buy organicproduce was also mooted.

A survey aimed at gauging people’sunderstanding of organic farming andrelated issues was conducted with thehelp of MBA and Journalism studentsof Rai University, Ahmedabad. Thesurvey was a part of the ongoingresearch activities on organic andtraditional food undertaken by SRISTIand IIMA. The focus of the surveywas on aspects like awareness,preferences, attitudes and demand forgenetically diverse and organic foodproduced by small and marginal farmers.The information collected is currentlybeing collated and analyzed.

Ratnaprava Barik, teacher & SRISTI Sanman awardee from Orissa and Manubhai from Gujaratinaugurating the Traditional Food Festival

Grassroots doesnot mean living with

old unproductive smalltime mindsets. Cobbleras a cobbler, fishermen

in the same old boat withfew nuts changed - but

to move fast towardsknowledge society

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam(President of India)


Honey Bee Vol 16(4) October - December 2005

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round 22,000 visitors thronged thecampus of the Indian Institute ofManagement, on 10 and 11 December

2005, when the third Traditional Food FestivalSattvik was organized by SRISTI, NIF, GIANand IIM. The venue was an enchanting spectacle,with a wide spread of culinary delicacies on eitherside, even as the center space was devoted tograssroots innovations. The festival posed certainfundamental questions about the kind of foods

we consume and how we could make it morehealthy and nutritious. In the process, could wealso ensure that the poor farmers who cultivatesuch healthy food grains get a fair share of theprofits? The food festival aims to generate marketbased incentives for such lesser known,organically grown crops and their varieties. After

all, unless the urban consumers startdemanding these grains, the incomewill never flow from our pockets tothe small and experimenting farmers.In most cases, the grains grown bythese farmers are not only morenutritious, but are also ‘compulsively’organic, because many of the farmerscannot afford to use any chemicalgrowth promoters or pesticides.

Over 60 farmers, including manywomen, as well as entrepreneurs,Civil Society Organizations likeGantar, Paryavaran Shikshan Kendraand Gujarat Gram Vidyapith, andothers utilized this opportunity todisplay and sell their ideas andproduce. The farmers mostly camefrom the dry regions of Gujarat, likeKutch, Banaskantha, Panchmahal,and Surendranagar. Rajasthan, TamilNadu and Uttar Pradesh were theother states represented.

The festival also provided anopportunity to spread the messageabout healthy food. The tribal peoplefrom Panchmahal district gave theurban consumers a rare treat ofkumbh aur shuri ki bhaji. At the

Gujarat Vidyapith stall eatables likedry fruits laddoo, bavte ka laddooand Khajur ka sharbat were sold andthe advantages of such types of foodwere also explained. The ParyavaranShikshan Kendra did brisk business

with the muthiya of Moringa oleiferaand a novel preparation - sharbet madefrom cactus (Euphorbiacaducitolia). It definitely opened oureyes to the nutritious potential ofwhat is otherwise considered aninhospitable plant. In Saurashtra, theplant is beleived to have medicinalvalue, specially for increasinghaemoglobin in the blood. Thedelicacy was lapped up by the

Sattvik 2005

A

Sattvik 2005, the third Traditional Food Festival opened the eyes of the urban consumer to the nutritive valueof traditional and organically grown grains, while simultaneously providing a platform for the rural producersto directly sell their produce in the urban market. The purpose was also to test the consumer response to differentvarieties of minor and major crops so that market based incentives could be generated for conservation of agro-biodiversity.

Visitors at the traditional food festival

Agro-biodiversity



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crowds and the sales of this beverage generatedaround Rs. 10,000 over the two days.

At the Kishor Vataliya stall, the FaraliKhichu and soup of kalathi (Dolichosbiflorus), was doing brisk business.The Arya Sanskriti stall came up withan interesting idea of selling rainwater, and drew many visitors. At theAkhand Jyot Foundation Stall, theattractions were methi (Trigonellafoenum-graecum) thepla, Vegetablepancake and Bhaidaku ofEchinochloa colonum. At the Swagatstall, different delicacies made ofmaize were available, including soup,samosa and halva.

The stall set up under CanadianInternational Development Agency,Guelph, implemented by IFPRI and

Recipe Contests : Rewarding Culinary Creativity

The recipe contest was organized on Dec 9, 2005 at the IIM A campus. The recipes were supposed to encourage the use ofthe lesser known and consumed food grains and minor millets such as kui (Carvia callosa ), kodri (Paspalum scrobiculatum),banti, bavto (Eleusine coracana) and kang (Setaria italica). The purpose was to help the revival of traditional, diverse foodand create awareness about the nutritional benefits of minor millets and uncultivated plants. We believe that the housewiveswho use these recipes have played a major role in the conservation of the grains and vegetables involved in the recipes, andneed to be recognized and rewarded.

The entries were judged by Ms. Ambarben Trivedi (HoD of Health andNutrition, NC Bodiwala College), Mr. B.B.S. Chauhan (Chief Chef, HotelInder Residency), Ms. Smithaben Dave (Lecturer, SLU Women’s College)and Ms. Kavitaben Phatak (winner of the recipe contest for the last twoyears). The recipes were judged based on the taste, nutritional value,method of cooking, knowledge about medicinal use and presentation.

One hundred and eighty two people submitted 334 entries by post. Ofthese, 65 people were present at the venue on the allotted day and betweenthem prepared 140 traditional dishes. A leading Gujarati daily helped usmobilize participants for the contest.

Through the competition, we were able to document the use of 59 cropsof which 18 were grains and 41 were vegetables. The most commonlyused grains were makkai (Zea mays) (69), jowar (Sorgham vulgare) (67)

and kodri (Paspalum scrobiculatum) (63). The least common grains were Kali (Oryza sativa), Jov (Hordeum vulgare) andMoth(Vigna aconitifolia) , each of which were used once. Among the vegetables, the most commonly used were tamarindflower (Tamarindus indica) used ten times, followed by Methi (Trigonella foenum-graecum) used seven times, and sargavo(Moringa oleifera) and palak (Spinacea oleracea) used five times each. The least common vegetables were padma (Nelumbonucifera), Apple (Pyrus malus) , Gulab na ful (Rosa damascus) , Punrnava na pan (Boerhaivia diffusa), used once each.

The first prize was bagged by Hema Mehta from Ahmedabad, who prepared a nutritious pancake using kodri. The recipe wasaesthetically presented and involved the use of very little oil. The second prize went to Ekta Parikh, also from Ahmedabad whoprepared a special katli using 35 medicinal plants and the third prize went to Sheetal Shah, from Baroda, who made kodri kitikiya. Ms. Sheetal Shah remarked that when she had first read about the contest in the paper, she thought there must havebeen a misprint, because she could not believe that the minor millets and uncultivated grains could be used in the recipes. Shethen consulted her mother and learnt about the uses of these grains and the recipe which won her the prize.

Farmers selling their produce to theurban consumers Multimedia Innovation Kiosk



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Exhibiting Grassroots Creativity

The Innovation Exhibition set up by GIAN andNIF was a major attraction at the festival. Thiswas an opportunity to display many grassrootsinnovations. Interestingly, when we hadorganized an exhibition of only the grassrootsinnovations, it drew far fewer visitors. Theblend of culinary and technological creativityseems to have worked.

Vinod Gajjar, who has developed innovativetongs to hold hot vessels was able to sell about220 pieces. Mr. M M Ahuja, the entrepreneurwho has licensed the water cooler developed

by Arvindbhai Patel, has received 50 enquiriesfrom people who were interested in orderingthe product. He expects that at least 10 per centwill materialize into orders. Mr. MansukhbhaiPrajapati has received orders worth Rs. 20,000for the earthen container for keeping vegetablesfresh and orders worth Rs. 10,000 for theTeflon coated earthen pan, an interesting useof modern technology for traditional objects.Mr. Panchal was able to sell 50 pieces of themotorized phirkee, which can be used to windstrings while flying kites. He considers this tobe a good sale, specially since the kite festivalwas still more than a month away, during thefood festival. He has also recived enquiriesfrom around 100 people. Mr. SakarbhaiPrajapati’s health care chair, which helps peopleexercise, was another popular attraction, andhe ended up selling not only the two chairs hehad brought for demonstration, but 10 morepieces to people who contacted him after havingseen his chair at the exhibition.

IIM A attempted to create awarenessabout the nutritional value oftraditional varieties of grains likeminor millets andmaize from Dahod(Gujarat) ricevarieties fromFaizabad (UP) andbajra (Pennisetumtyphoides) from Sikar(Rajasthan). The ricevarieties on displayincluded Kalanamak,Lalmati, Dhaniya,Kanakjir, Bengal Juhi, Baghari,Dehula, Erri and Muthmuri. Adetailed nutritional analysis of eachof the grains was made and thisinformation was provided to theconsumers. Minor millets includedbavto (Eleusine coracana), kodi(Paspalum scrobiculatum), and kang

(Setaria italica). There were manyenquiries about availability of thesedifferent varieties and many

consumers expressedan interest in buyingthem.

The festival not onlyprovided anopportunity for thefarmers to directly selltheir produce andeliminate themiddlemen, but also

gave them an exposure to urbanmarkets, the demands of urbanconsumers and the market potentialfor organic products. According toArvind Paramar of Kuchch Sajiv KhetiManch, who had brought 18 farmersto the festival, “All the grains weresold and we also got a lot of contacts

The stall set up by IIMA and IFPRI under a CIDA Project

Women's groups doing brisk business at the stalls

“The festival hasprovided an opportunity

for me to understand themarket for organic

produce. I have used thisknowledge and set up a

shop for organic producein the village", says

Khimjibhai.

Exhhibition of Green Grassroots Innovation



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Inviting Ideas

Another interesting feature of the food festival was the idea contest, conducted byGIAN and NIF for all the visitors. The contest encouraged all the visitors to come upwith innovative ideas and solutions for day-to-day problems and share it with us.Through the contest we have been able to generate some interesting ideas. One idea,given by Ashish Gajjar, was for the installation of mini-speakers in helmets, to makedriving more pleasurable. Tusharbindu Tapuldhar suggested that tooth-brushes be madeof small length which can be fixed to the fingers. This not only helps us get a bettergrip while brushing, but also saves on the usage of plastic, which would otherwise beused to make a longer grip. Narendra Vansjatra suggests that copper coils can beattached to the bottom of cooking pans, so that water can be heated, even as thecooking is in progress.

Another idea for institutional improvement was the creation of a sarpanch networkamong villages, to promote organic farming and the cultivation of traditional varieties.The idea was suggested by Hemchandre Barat. Shashikant Gupta suggested that adirectory of all organic farmers be prepared, so that people have easier access tothem.

Alabhai, a farmer from Kutch, whohad put up five stalls at the festival isalso extremely happy with his business.“We got to see for ourselves thedemand for organic products in urbanareas. All our products are organic,but when we sell them through outletsin the city, we don’t make such profits.Through this festival, we got to seehow much profit we can actuallymake. There needs to be moretransparency in the outlets which sellorganic produce in the urban areas.The farmers, urban outlets andconsumers should come together ona common platform and we must tryto ensure that farmers get a fair shareof the profits.” According to MukeshRavel from YUVA, who brought fourfarmers to the festival, “Suchopportunities are definitely needed forfarmers to get to know how to selltheir products without any middlemen.If the festival was organized over alonger period of time, the farmers canalso bear some of the cost of the

festival. Khimjibhai, a farmer, adds,“The festival has provided anopportunity for me to understand themarket for organic produce. I haveused this knowledge and set up a shopfor organic produce in the village. Notonly do I sell my produce, but I alsoprocure from other farmers and sellit if the demand is high. The festivalhas helped me become anentrepreneur.”

Many non-governmental organi-zations had bought farmers andwomen’s groups to sell their products.The festival proved to be an incomegenerating opportunity for them.According to Tanuben, from Gudala,who is part of a self-help group whichhas been selling pudina sharbet duringthe festival, “We have been able toget a lot of money. Some of it willcover our costs in coming here, theremaining, we will deposit in the bankand use for our childrens’ educationor for some health emergencies.”

The festival also provided a platformfor Gantar, an NGO working in Gujarat,to display some of their innovativeteaching material, which aims to teachchildren without using books. Theinnovative toys include spelling games,umbrellas to teach astronomy andmathematics and math games.

The festival not only promotes theconsumption of organic food, but alsoprovides ways of growing organicfood. Many herbal growth promoterswith pesticidal properties, developedby the Sadbhav SRISTI SanshodhanLabaratory were displayed and sold.The purpose was to promote organiccultivation not only in farms, but alsoin kitchen gardens. The SRISTI stallalso sold literature on indigenousknowledge and practices, organicfarming etc.

The festival also had its share ofattractive practices for the children.Quiz competitions and antakshariensured that children not only enjoyedthe ocassion but also went home withattractive prizes.

The SRISTI stall displaying publications

about people who are interested in buying ourproduce. So that is a definite benefit we got.Moreover, it was the first time farmers from adryland area were going into the city to markettheir products. It has given them a sense of

confidence about themselves and their produce.”According to Jivrajbhai from Sarjan Bodeli, “Wewere able to get many farmers, including womenfarmers from the tribal areas. They got to knowa lot about organic farming, on how to marketorganic products etc. It was a learning experience.”

Honey Bee Vol 17(4) & 18(1) October - December 2006 & January - March 2007

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FOODFESTIVAL

atvik, the fourth annual food festival wasorganized at the new campus of the IndianInstitute of Management (IIM),

Ahmedabad from 25th November, 2006. Dr BakulDholakia, IIM’s Director, inaugurated the festival,and stressed the importance of preservingtraditional knowledge and agricultural biodiversity.It was also mentioned on the occasion that onlyfood grown on fertile soil can promoteconstructive ideas, and a realization of right valuesin the long run.

About 44,000 visitors, including15,000 children visited the stallsduring three days ( Nov 25-27, 2006)featuring organic produce, grassrootsinnovations, traditional foods, andsocial ventures. These stalls were setup by various organizations, farmers’collectives and individuals fromRajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, TamilNadu, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Keralaapart from Gujarat.

The food festival provided theplatform to reach out to as manypeople as possible, and to sensitizethem about the implications of goingorganic, conserving not only lessknown crops but also varieties ofdifferent food and other crops forwhich market did not exist. Therewas a special focus on the schoolgoing children; for moulding theconsumption preference of youngpeople is one of the major challengesfaced by the organic movement.

Consumer surveys were alsoundertaken to gauge people’s opinionsabout organic food. Tens of thousandfree passes were given to children sothat they would bring their parentsto the TFF and trigger learning infamilies from below.

Culinary diversity: The recipecontest

Minor millets and many traditionaldishes have been disappearing fromour cuisine, leading to a decline in theirdemand and thus causing loss in agro-biodiversity. The food festivalprovided an opportunity to familiarizethe urban audience with recipes madefrom these crops, and to utilizeconsumer demand as a major catalysttowards their conservation. In all, 72food stalls were set up, of which 54showcased the revival of traditionalrecipes. Attempt was made to ensurethat the recipes were free from

A sweet pudding made of seeds of Bamboo that flowers once in 12 years, Amrut Pey, an energetic drink madefrom Bilipatra and Pipal leaves, a dish made of Aloe Vera, and many more recipes using rare and traditionalcrop varieties were displayed at Satvik, the fourth Traditional Food Festival (TFF) organized by SRISTI incollaboration with GIAN, NIF and IIMA. The festival also brought the grassroots innovators on a common platform,and helped disseminate the spirit of the organic movement. Idea contest organised on the occasion tried to spreadcreative consciousness not yet pervasive enough in society.

S

Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy thoughts: Satvik 2006



32

artificial colours and additives, even if all of themwere not entirely based on organic ingredients.

People from all over the state were invited toparticipate and submit their recipes and bring asample a day before the TFF. The entries werejudged by Ms Rekhaben Mehta (Retd. HoD,Health and Nutrition, DD College of HomeScience, and a regular columnist in a leading localnewspaper), Ms Kirti Rathod (winner of the 2nd

prize during the first recipe contest, and an activeparticipant in SRISTI activities concerningpromotion of traditional food varieties), and MsSudhaben Dhanesha (a traditional food expert andwinner of the special prize during the first foodfestival for bringing 30 recipes made from rareand less cultivated crops).

The competition received a total of 49 some whatunique recipes (either in terms of ingredients orin the way of presentation) representing a diversityof cultural patterns. There were many interestingentries like "Makai Paniya" and "Makai kiThuli", two dishes made of Maize (Zea maysL.), "Urd ka Vada", a snack made of BlackGram (Phaseolus mungo L.), "Bavta kaLadoo/Papad", a sweet and a snack madeof Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)Gaertn.), "Baans ke beej ka Sheera", asweet pudding made of Bamboo (Bambusaarundinacea (Retz.) Willd.) seeds, "Kodri kiKhichdi" , a dish made of Kodo Millet(Paspalum scrobiculatum L.), "Marua kiSharbat" , a drink made of Marua (Ocimumbasilicum L.), "Kothambda ka wafer", wafersmade of Wild Melon (Cucumis callosus (Rottl.)Cogn. ex Cogn. & Harms), "Ranikela ki Shak","Thumro", etc.Moreover,there werefew veryrare orl e s s

common ingredients used in recipes such as"Kunvarpathu Shak", a vegetable made of AloeVera (Aloe vera (L.) Webb. & Berth.), "Arbi

Singhada ki Tikki", a snack madeof Coco Yam {(Colocasia esculenta(L.) Schott}, and Water Chestnut{Trapa natans L. var. bispinosa(Roxb.) Makino)}, andenergetic drinks like"Ashtamrut", and"Amrut Pey" preparedfrom Apple Wood, (Aeglemarmelos (L.) Corr.) andPipal ( Ficus religiosa L.)leaves.

The first prize was given to"Khatta Mitha Gola" preparedfrom Dates (Phoenix sylvestris (L.)Roxb.), Elephant apple (Limoniaacidissima L.), and jaggery. "Kodriki Khichdi" made of Kodo millet(Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) won the

second prize. The third prize wasgiven to "Amrut Pey", "Chitravaliki Chutney" and "HariyaluShak". Ms Hema Mehta, who hasstudied home science and read manybooks on traditional cuisine, learnt therecipe of Amrut Pey in an old bookbelonging to her mother-in-law.Chitravali Chutney is made from the

roots of Leadwort (Plumbagozeylanica L.) and is a very gooddigestive agent.

Many visitors were pleased to find avariety of dishes that they had heardof but never tasted. "I tastedSaragawa soup, made of Drumstick(Moringa oleifera Lam.) for the firsttime and liked it too. I’m going to gohome and prepare it for my husband",

said Roma Bhatt. Dr NarendraParikh, a retired principal,

also lookedforward

to this festival all year long. He added"If you want people to adapt to ahealthy lifestyle, such festivals shouldbe organized at least every quarter. Inever knew Dhokla could be cookedusing Soyabean (Glycine max L.)".

The magic of "Organic"

The food festival also served as aplatform for people for variousparts of the country to sell theirorganically grown products. Mr P

Surulivel of Tamilnadu broughtorganically grown cardamomvariety. One of the Honey BeeNetwork volunteer did a survey in thenearby market and found the priceof good quality dried cardamom, andaccordingly suggested Mr Surulivel. By lunch, all his cardamom wassold, fetching him more than doublethe profit he originally expected. Onecould not imagine the happiness onhis face. Mr Sabu Varghese who cameon the second day with hiscardamom variety also managed tosell it fast, and at a very good profit.

Navara rice, a variety of rice, whichgrows in the wild in some pocketsof Kerala, was also a major attraction.Though priced at Rs. 400 a kg, itfound many customers who boughtthe 100 gm samples. The rice isclaimed to have medicinal properties,particularly for people with heartproblems, diabetes and nervousdisorders.



33

Face painting, T-shirt painting, and hand painting done by students of the National Institute of Design and theIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

Khedut haat

One of the most important features of the festival was the KhedutHaat, which gave the farmers a platform to sell their products directlyto the customers. Eighty farmers from 30 villages displayed around15,000 kg of organic products. They were happy with the direct salesapproach, as they collected much higher profit than they could havegot otherwise.

Kankuben made such a lot of profit that she was finally able to afforda cell phone. "The cell phone allows me to keep in touch with people.I can now get orders on my phone".

Another farmer, Mr Mahendra Patel,who participated in the festival for thefirst time displayed four varieties of

Amla, candies and mouth freshner made of Amla. He wished he had brought more productsto the festival as all his organic wheat biscuits were sold out by the second day. He plans tobring a variety of organic products to the next festival as per the feedback of the visitors.Sardar Patel Farm, a well-known organic farm, has been a regular participant in the foodfestival during the last four years. This year, they had brought over 25 varieties of grains and12 kinds of vegetables and fruits, all of which were sold by the third day. Mr Pratik Patel, anorganic farmer was very happy to see many people informed about organic products. Hesaid "Until last year, people used to enquire about organic products. This year, almost all the visitors were aware of organicfarm products. When such customers buy our products, we also feel satisfied."

Mr Mukesh of YUVA, an NGO in Rapar, Gujarat recalled how only one farmer had participated in the first food festival. Thefarmers later formed an association, and this year, 31 farmers participated in the festival displaying organic and dairyproducts from their area. He believes that the number will increase to 70 participants for the coming food festival. He added,"In each festival, we gauge the market requirements and consumer behaviour, with the result that this time not even a grainwas left unsold". He also emphasized the need for value addition in the products saying "We need to lay more importance onvalue addition in products to make them appealing to the urban dwellers and to make the festival a bigger success".

Ms Rita Rathode of Jasdan, coordinator of an organic farmers group, brought 40 farmers, of whom 20 were women. Sheappreciated the efforts of SRISTI in organizing such a unique festival and suggested that the space allotted to the stalls in theKhedut Haat should be increased, so that customers can be attended well.

When did you think of a new idea last?


34

The wild varieties of chilly brought by Mr R.G.Hedge were well appreciated by the people. Sincehe had mainly brought the varieties fordemonstration, many were left disappointed asthey were too eager to buy it after tasting it. Theblack pepper he had brought also generated a lotof interest among the customers. Walnuts fromKashmir brought by Mr Mushtaq Dar were alsoliked by many people.

Grassroots creativity on display

An exhibition showcased by GIAN and NIFdisplayed innovations like a cycle sprayer, anamphibious bicycle, a mechanical thresher, tongs,tawas, firkis, etc. Visitors showed a lot of interestin these innovations and many of them were soldquickly.

Mr Mansukhbhai Prajapati displayed his non-stickclay tawas (earthen cooking plates coated withnon-stick material) and earthen refrigerator, "MittiCool". He sold all his 400 tawas in two days andwas very happy with the overwhelming responsethat he received from the urban dwellers. "Suchfestivals provide a very good platform forgrassroots innovators. The objective of the foodfestival i.e., adapting to natural lifestyle was onestrong factor for the sale of my products",commented the innovator. He too wished that suchfestivals were held every quarter.

Mr Ravajibhai Savaliya also sold out his entirestock of Ribbed Tawa. People responded verypositively to his design which has now been provedto have higher thermal efficiency. The UniversityDepartment of Chemical Technology (UDCT),Mumbai has confirmed the advantage of ribbingin increasing thermal efficiency besides similar

confirmation by Indian Institute ofPetroleum earlier. This was sent fortesting by GIAN (West) and NIFunder the CSIR-NIF partnership forvalue addition in different areas. Itcould have enormous implications forsaving energy in industrial boilersworldwide-another example ofgrassroots to global (g2g).

Ms Doru Kachu and her husbandfrom UK have attended many foodfestivals in there and were happy tovisit Satvik while they were passingthrough Ahmedabad on their Indiatrip. "It is good to see that such thingsare happening in India. Such fairs arealso good for the sustainability offarmers." Of course they could notnotice that in UK, the focus was onfood rather than conserving agro-biodiversity alongside. Innovativetongs helping one carry hot vesselswith more convenience than theconventional ones were liked byconsumers a great deal.

With the kite flying festival around,motor operated Firkis were also soldout quickly. These innovative firkiswork on a battery to wind the thread,when pressed from one end and wereavailable at Rs 225. The idea was thatwhen a kite was cut, the thread hadto be wound up manually. This tooka lot of time and strain. With motorinside winding took place fast withouttiring the flyer. The Robocrats, a clubfor engineering students from around

Gujarat, also displayed an innovationrelating to the kite festival. Thesestudent innovators designed a lowcost method for shielding cyclistsfrom stray kite strings. Theydistributed hundreds of such shieldsfree among the visitors and the wholeconcept was highly appreciated.

Many new mentors had shown theirinterest in further development oftechnologies and providing financialsupport to the innovators. Thesupport staff and innovators receivedseveral queries from the visitors, ontopics like business development ofinnovations. The response receivedfrom the mentors incubating some ofthe grassroots innovations during thefood festival is being used tostrengthen the on-line collaborationmodel developed by SRISTI.

Social ventures

There were stalls where physicallychallenged children sold their papercrafts. Another NGO, Arzooworking with riot affected Hindu &Muslim children sold the beautifulcards made of hand made paper.Ms Sulekha Ali, who runs theorganization, recalls that "For thelast two years, I was attending thefestival only as a visitor. This year,on SRISTI’s suggestion, we decidedto set up a stall displaying the hand-made paper cards, diaries, andproducts made by the riot-affected



35

Children from Arzoo displaying handmade paper cards

children". She suggests that the festival shouldbe extended for a few more days, and theentry fees could be increased. She plans todisplay paintings, flower pots, cups, and otheritems made by the children in the next festival.Darpana Academy had a stall where womenfrom their village development project soldtheir goods. Students from IIMA are nowplanning to join hand next time to arrange asocial venture fair along side Satvik 2007.Social, cultural and culinary diversity willreinforce each other and make us respect thesalt of life, the diversity.

The road ahead

This year, a total of 72 stalls showcasedproducts and information about traditional food

practices, as compared to 40 stallsin 2004. The total sales for thisfood festival were about three timesthat of the first festival. This year,about 44,000 people attended thefestival, more than twice the numberduring the first one. The foodfestival attracted participants fromstates like Uttaranchal, ArunachalPradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala,Rajasthan, Orissa, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh, and Gujarat.

Visitors and organizers of the fairhad a number of suggestions thatSRISTI would like to implement.

Some visitors and participantsexpressed an interest in holding thetraditional food festival during everyquarter. Other suggestions were:organizing region wise stalls, andincluding larger stalls and a biggerseating area to reduce crowding.Mr Mahendra Patel emphasized theneed for forming associations offarmers in any area prior to thefestival, so that they can attend thefestival in groups and travel costscan be cut down. Many participantssuggested that a meeting should beorganized prior to the festival wherethe potential participants can interactamongst themselves, and discussthe rules and regulations to befollowed. This way theinconsistency observed in the pricesof some of the goods across thestalls can also be dealt with. It wasalso felt that a certificationmechanism should be introduced sothat only farmers with genuineorganic products are encouraged.(Those interested in participating infuture fairs should get in touchwith SRISTI)

The spirit of Traditional FoodFestival hinges closely on the abilityof urban consumers to pay forconservation of agro-biodiversity inthe rural areas. They would do soonly when taste is blended withinformation and innovations.Satvik2007 awaits new ideas, newinnovations and new tastes.

When did you last confess to your children that you did not know the answer to their question?

Honey Bee Vol 18(3) & 18(4) July - December 2007

11

A new beginning

The Fifth Traditional Food Festival, Sattvik, wasorganized by SRISTI at IIMA campus duringDecember 1-4, 2007 with the support of theHoney Bee Network, GIAN, NIF and IIMA. TheDirector of IIM, Prof Sameer Barua inauguratedthe festival. Shri Ishwar Bhai, Founder Trusteeof Gram Bharati, a Gandhian education institutionat Amrapur and Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal,appreciated the rich cultural and crop diversity inthe country. With thousands of varieties of riceand other crops, it offered a vast range of choicesto people. He commended the effort of organizingSattvik, which might help in conserving not just

the diversity but also associatedknowledge systems.

Shri Sukhdevbhai of Ganatar tookspecial effort to educate the visitorsthrough his volunteers about theinitiatives for making children moreresponsible, socially conscious andmore inclusive in their outlook.Ganatar has provided immensesupport to the Honey Bee Networkin scouting innovative practices fromGujarat. Sukhdevbhai's studentVishnu Bachubhai Dumania is onesuch example. Vishnu could not study

Sattvik 2007 - The Fifth Traditional Food FestivalDecember 1-4, 2007

SATTVIK

Diversity in food cannot be maintained without appreciating and acknowledging the diversity in culture. But howdo we express our cultural preferences and differences? Food is one way. We celebrate these differences everyyear through Sattvik Food Festival. Creating market for organic food, fast disappearing grains, recipes andproducts from different parts of the country may help us in maintining the cultural, culinary and agriculturaldiversity. Most children who visited Sattvik could tell more about the purpose of the Traditional Food Festival,compared to adults. This is what gives us hope. Ask yourself, what did you consume last week, which connectedyou to the roots and the diversity?

“If God had intended us to follow recipes,He wouldn’t have given us grandmothers.”

Linda Henley

When did you consume organic food last?

since most families in the saltmanufacturing region required theirchildren to monitor the water levels


12

in the water pumping tanks. Vishnu had receivedan award from Dr R A Mashelkar, Chairperson,National Innovation Foundation for his innovativewater level indication system at the 4th biennialawards at NIF. We hope similar organizationswill help disseminate this message of the HoneyBee Network so that we can reach out to manymore Vishnus. Ganatar organised street plays anddances to convey the deeper messages about therelevant school education during the festival.

Tongue Tied, Recipe Ride!

On the afternoon of 30th November, 2007 acontest of lesser known traditional recipes washeld at the IIM campus. Thirty five participantsshared more than 110 recipes. Some of theuncommon recipes were healthy noodles madeof “Ragi”, sherbet made of “Bili” fruit, AppleWood (Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa), nectar oflemon-guava (Citrus limon L. and Psidiumguajava L.), Shoe-flower (Hibiscus rosa-sinensisL.) juice, “Shankhpushpi” (Evolvulus alsinoides

L.) juice, sweet kachori, stuffed pancake with"Kang", Foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.)dip, "Dodi" (Leptadenia reticulata Wt. & Arn.)mathiya, Jowar (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.)-apple pudding, sweet “Shingoda”, Water Chesnut(Trapa natans L.) and many more.

Prof (Smt) Ambarben Trivedi (Former Head ofthe Department, Food and Nutrition, B.D. HomeScience College, Ahmedabad), Prof (Smt)Rekhaben Mehta (Head Department of Food &Nutrition) and Dr. Dharmishtha Gandhi (Asst.Professor, Dental College, Vadodara) evaluated therecipes.

Ms. Ranjanben Shah received the 1st prize forher five recipes, healthy noodles, “Jowar”,(Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench)raab,“Chil”

(Chenopodium album L.) & “Dudhi”(Leptadenia reticulata Wt. & Arn.)muthiya, “Bili” (Aegle marmelos (L.)Correa) ju ice ,“Shankhpushpi”(Evolvulus alsinoides L.) juice. MsMeenaben S. Trivedi received the 2nd

prize for her recipes, "Dodi" muthiya,juice of ginger (Zingiber officinaleRosc.), lemon (Citrus limon L.),“Amla” (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.),“Pudina” (Mentha arvenses L.), and“Tulsi” (Ocimum sanctum L.),chutney of “Amli-khajur” and gur(jaggery) (Tamarindus indica L. andPhoenix dactylifera L.) (that can bestored for one year). Mrs. EktaParekh received the 3rd prize forstuffed Pancake with “Kang”, Foxtailmillet (Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.) dip(a low calorie dish). In addition, tencontestants received consolationprizes.

Potpourri in Hot Pots!

Though the participation from Gujaratwas understandably large, peoplefrom far off places like Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, UttarPradesh, West Bengal, Assam, TamilNadu and Kerala had also put up theirstalls. The festival truly maintainedits diversity by offering not justreadymade organic products anddishes made of them, but alsoseedlings of “Ajma pan”,(Trachyspermum ammi L.), “Brahmi”(Centella asiatica (L.) urban),“Mamejavo” (Enicostemma littoraleBl.), “Dodi” (Leptadenia reticulataWt. & Arn.), “Kuvarpathhu” (Aloevera L.), “Limbdo” (Azadirachtaindica Nees).

Organic food from Daanta Ramgarh,Shekhawati and Jodhpur, Rajasthanmobilized by the HBN innovator MrSundaram Verma was available. “DalBaati” “Dahi Bade”, “Baajre kiRabri”, choorma made of wheat flour(helps fight against cold) and onionkachori were quite popular among thevisitors. One of the stall owners addedthat “the urban ways of making Baatiusing an oven makes it lose the

original taste”. According to him theiruniqueness lies in maintaining the ageold process of making the dishes.

People from Chamba and Kangra,Himachal Pradesh had also put uptheir stall (mobilized by two NGOs,

Era and Sewa Himalaya). Dr ArunChandan explained that the “Rajma”,Kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)and “Urd”, Black gram, (Vignamungo L.) they had brought alongwas grown by the tribals and otherfarmers in the middle, upper-middleand alpine zones. The “Urd”, (Blackgram) according to him not onlytakes less time to cook, but is alsoincomparable in taste. They had alsobrought jams, chutney and sherbetmade of Rhododendron, which theyclaimed were highly recommendedfor cardiac patients. Rhododendronsare notable for their flowers lastingonly for fifteen days after which theywither away. It is indeed a challengingtask for farmers to gather theseflowers within this time period andprocess them. Anoopbhai, a farmermobilised local women in the area forpicking these flowers and its sherbet

A Dialogue on People’s Creativity, Experimentation & Innovation


13

besides plum jam and apple chutney. Despite thefact that the production was low and the priceshigh, most of the products were sold on the firstday itself. Chukh, a variety of pickle made withcitrus juice, chillies, garlic and sugar used as anatural preservative was another unique item fromChamba. A special feature of this stall was the"Makki ka Atta" (Maize floor) they had brought.A local non-hybrid variety of Maize was groundby water mill. They had also aimed at a set ofnew dishes everyday with eleven recipes to offer.Notable amongst these was Bichoo booti (Urticadioca L.) ka saag, which is good for arthritis andneurological disorders. They were also very keenon holding the festival at local level with supportof the HBN.

Sardar Patel farm participates in the festival everyyear. They came up with powedered "Chiku",Sapota ( Achras sapota L.), Amla ( Emblicaofficinalis Gaertn.) and lemon that can be usedas instant add-ins for milk shakes and ice creams.They also offered ice-creams made from thesepowders, which attracted a huge crowd. DrDinesh Patel, a cardiologist took a break from his

clinic only to be at the festival. Theswitch from being a doctor to afarmer came easy to him. He said,“I had created a fence around methat separated me from nature. Ithought I could not wake up atseven in the morning to dig soil.When I put my foot out, I sawunlimited opportunities”. He touchedupon the importance of certificationin the acceptance of organicproducts among the public. “Whenwe started, I thought if I ampracticing organic farming, I willneed no certification from people forI know my products are authentic.But now I have realized that I maybelieve in my products, but it isimportant for people to see a thirdparty confirming these products asgenuine” said Dr Patel whose farmhas now obtained certification fromIndia Organic, and other agencies.He added that though certificationis a costly affair, small scale farmers

can opt for a group certification andpractice organic farming.

Sahya, a womens’ association fromIdduki District, Kerala mobilized bythe Peermade Development Societywith active support from NIF alsoparticipated for the first time in thefestival. On display were foodsupplements made of jackfruit, andpickles made of grapes, pineapple anddates. All the products had their basein the Traditional Knowledge ofwomen. Commercialization of theirinnovative products has led to thewomen earning additional monthlyincome of 1000-1500 rupees.

Health drinks like "Sehjan" (Moringaoleifera Lam.) Soup (helpful inarthritis) and sherbets made of Cactusfruit (Opuntia dillenii (Ker-Gawl.)Haw.), "Tulsi" (Ocimum sanctumLinn.) and Amla (Emblica officinalisGaertn.) were also available apartfrom organic herbal tea, barley water,imported coffee from Philippinesand the traditional "Kahewa", theKashmiri tea. The syrup of cactusfruit was a run away success.Khedut Haat had farmers fromvarious regions selling seeds ofcereals, herbs, oils, vegetables,millets, papad, jaggery and someherbal medicines.

Women from various districts inGujarat, mobilized by Sewa GramMahila Haat also displayed theirproducts at the Khedut Haat.Interesting products at their stall werethe Ginger-Amla sherbet fromDeopura village, Anand. All of this wassold on first day.

Mitticool, Maruti Jhoola and more...

An exhibition of innovations fromdifferent parts of the country wasorganized by NIF and GIAN on theoccasion. We had a gas operatediron from Andhra Pradesh, side standgear lock from Kerala, manual milkingmachine from Karnataka, Maruti Jhoola,earthen kitchen product range from



14

Gujarat among many other things. Earthen productrange like tawas, pots, mugs, fridge (Mitticool)were displayed by Shri Mansukhbhai Prajapati,an innovator from Wakaner, Gujarat. Traditionallymade and uniquely designed leather chappals byBhaiyaram from Chattisgarh, small toys madefrom wires, cards and other stationary itemsmade from flower pulp were other attractions.Battery operated tricycle for handicappedpeople made by Shri Asjadbhai from Kayalpur,Banaskantha, Gujarat also received some ravereviews. It was an outstanding example of howa son who really cared, designed a tricylcle tosuit various needs of his aged father.

New Products at Display

Clay cooker by Shri Mansukhbhai Prajapati waslaunched on the first day along with the mobilewater carrier and dispenser, ‘Ganges Water Wagon”,from the makers of Natural Water Cooler ‘Unicool’,M/s Rachna Industries and Shri Arvindbhai Patel,innovator. NIF-SRISTI also displayed their Shashvatrange of neutraceutical products that included cactusfruit drink in two flavors, “Moringa” (Moringaolifera Lam.) based health tonic, “Ragi” (Eleusinecoracana (L.) Gaertn.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) enriched food supplements in three flavors,seven grain biscuits, biscuits to be had during fasting,“Kodri”, Kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.)biscuits and herbal tea.

Once eaten, twice try!

A critical component of the food festival was togather feedback from the visitor to constantly improvethe festival. Shri Arun Kumar Agrawal, who hadbeen to all the earlier festivals, cancelled his tripto Agra for this food festival. His wife who alwaysbuys organic food for home supported the cause

….And the little ones

Face painting, hand paintingand T-shirt painting weresome of the activitiesorganized for the children.Many beautiful and inspiringsongs were sung by tengirls of Gram Vidyapith,Amrapur all belonging todifferent districts in

Gujarat. A small girl guided her grandfather to the kids area and simplyrefused to leave. She was not the only one. Sanskriti, a student ofclass VII decided to skip her tuition classes for the festival.

Though waste-bins were placed at regular intervals, their use by smallkids was impressive. We observed a group with a small child neara food counter. After they had consumed the eatables, the group stoodthere for long chatting. A kid who was looking at them for quitesome time took the waste plates from their hand, and despite notbeing tall enough to reach the waste bin, lifted himself up and threwthe waste in.

A remarkable feature ofthe Fifth Traditional FoodFestival had been a clearunderstanding in childrenof not only the objectivesof the food festival butalso the implication ofgoing organic. On beingasked the purpose of thefestival they saidunanimously, “it isorganized to bring forththe traditional food varietiesfrom different states of India and to promote organic food.” Katha,of class VII went on to say “we have been adopting food fromdifferent countries. This is an attempt to realize the cultural and culinarydiversity within our own country”.

The Aggrawal familyhad visited the festivalfor the first time. Theysaid “our granddaughter Eli got ushere.She had visitedthe festival twice withher Aunt. A year hadpassed but she knewthe way to the festivaland guided therikshaw driver.”


Asjadbhai demonstrating thefunctioning of his innovative tricycle


15

of organic farming saying “ye do inch ki jeebhhoti hai na, yehi faisla karti hai ki andar kya jayega.Hum sirf swad ke liye khate hain aur galat khanakhake jab bimar hote hain to wohi jeebh kadwidawai to jhel jati hai, lekin agar kaho ki neem karas sehat ke liye accha hai to nahi maanti.”

(This tongue no matter how small, decides whatgoes in the stomach. We have a habit of eating fortaste. On falling sick after eating improperly the

same tongue that refuses to understand that Neemis good for health, takes in doses of bitter medicine)

Amanda from England liked the fact that she couldget organic products in India. She said, “In England,I only use organic products, but in the last fourmonths that I have been in India, it has been difficultfor me to find non chemical input based products.Its encouraging seeing there is a market for organicproducts here”. She also suggested some of thebanners be in English also so that people fromother countries can enjoy the fare without havingto deal with the language barrier. She expressedan interest in visiting the fair next year with ahope of seeing clothes made of organic fabrics.Shri M S Sudarshanan and Shri Ajay K Nair fromIIMA said they would like to see more participationfrom the Southern states. They also suggested a

digital display of the food items nearthe stalls so that the crowd at the stallscould be managed more effectively.

Rameshbhai and Smt Tarulatabenbought “Singdana”, Groundnut (Arachishypogea L.), ‘Nibda” ka gado,”Nagli”ka aata (Eleusine coracana (L.)Gaertn.), and “Til” (Sesamum indicumL.) from the Khedut Haat. Despiterealizing that the price of organicproducts was quite high as comparedto the chemical input based productsavailable in the market, an understandingof the authenticity of the products wasenough for them to buy so much. Theyhowever felt that the Khedut Haat mustbe provided a bigger space and shouldbe highlighted more.

The aura at the festival was suffusedwith mirth, laughter, noise, music,and voices of the multitudes. Somewho rejoiced the dishes wanted tochange their life styles but for many,it was just a happy diversion fromevery day routine. Children seemedmore interested in persuading theirparents to shift their currentconsumption style. Lack of a regular

outlet of authentic organic choiceswas regretted by everybody. Unlessfarmers movement comes forwardto develop a rigorous repeated andrandom inspection system so that


authenticity can be assured, manyconsumers will remain unconvinced.The Network is pursuing this idea withits members and hopefully such asystem of inspection will emerge indue course. Unless we create marketsof some of the fast disappearingcrops and their varieties, theirconservation will indeed becomevery difficult. Urban consumers haveto join hands with rural producers andthe Sattvik will continue to provide a

platform for dialogue to take place.Dialogue on diversity has to sustainthe confluence of creativity incultural, culinary and consumptionchoices of consumers.


7

SATVIK

Sixth Annual Traditional Food Festival to celebrateculinary creativity along side the agro-biodiversity,that too maintained often without using chemicalinputs, - Satvik 08 was organized by Honey BeeNetwork at IIM Ahmedabad Campus from 6th to8th December. Aromas and smiles welcomedvisitors to the confluence of consumers andfarmers. With 57 stalls offering diverse culturesand tastes, people could not have asked for a biggermenu to tickle the taste buds and tinkle the brains.The festival was inaugurated by Prof B H Jajoo,the Acting Director of IIM Ahmedabad. Farmersfrom Kutch, Jasdaan, Surendranagar, Panchmahaland many other pats of the country attended theopening with grins and garnishings for the visitors.The winners of the SRISTI traditional recipe contestwere also awarded on the occasion.

Esther David (Times of India columnist) personallywelcomed the visitors to the Jewish stall, set upfor the first time in Satvik. She told that the Jewshave strict dietary norms that often make themuse coconut milk as substitute to the dairy products.Some of their festive fares like Kippur (Day ofAtonement, better known as Yom Kippur) chi puri,oil free poha with coconut, raisins and nuts, badamchi pez, date sheera, black currants sherbet and‘falafal’ have been Indianised.

Tribal and Rural Fare

The farmers from the different villages in Gujaratput up 25 food stalls. Their mouth watering recipeslike Bajra no rotlo (millet bread), ringan no sag(aubergine gravy), chat (spicy starters), sevengrains khichdi, basil (Ocimum americanum)preparation, ‘sheero’ (Indian pudding) uniquely madeof bamboo seeds acted as major drawers. Thevisitors enjoyed many additional recipes from thetribal areas of Gujarat like dumplings made from

Sixth Traditional Food Festival - Satvik 2008

When did you last confess to your children that you did not know the answer to their question?

local corn and laddoo (bolus) of bavtaand mahua flowers, bhaji (gravy) ofgram pulse leaves, etc.

The North East India was animatedthrough the Chutney made of Bamboo,also called Toko Toko Patta andsteamed rice in leaves at ArunachalPradesh stall. Mushtaq, an apple cumwalnut cultivator and also an innovatorfrom Jammu and Kashmir waswelcoming the visitors with ‘Keheva’,Kashmiri tea made from saffron. FromBagpat, UP, there were nutritious aswell as tasty palak and papita ki barfi(sweet made from spinach andpapaya).

The Prakriti Mahila Udyog,Ahmedabad drew countless visitorsfor its Natural Ice cream, sweetenedwith dry fruits only. James, a foreignnational after tasting it, claimed thatthe Indian Ice cream was the best inthe world. Sandhya Mandal,Honeybee collaborator from WestBengal had date jaggery as a variety.The stall of Centre for Environmentand Education, Ahmedabad was sellingNagli (a grain) powder and ‘papad’(fritters) of pumpkin.

Arrays of juices like phindla (pricklypear) juice (good for Asthma, HepatitisB), pumpkin, mint-ginger anddrumstick juice quenched the thirstand aroused the curiosity of thevisitors. ‘Adhar Charitable Trust’ anNGO, had a stall run by the HIVpositive people. The crowd gathered

at their stall to enjoy their tangy chaats.Bhakhri pizza, seven grains pizza andsmoked chaas (buttermilk) were theIndian recipes refurbished in name and

presentation to attract the health-conscious and youngsters.

The visitors happily shared theirfeelings. Mr & Mrs K N Dhingra, 60years, were simply delighted at theconcept of Traditional Food Festival.Saloni and Margi Parikh, youngstudents from Nirma Institute weretotally awed by this different pictureof India. Emile and Sam, UK nationalsliving in Ahmedabad for a year now,were the happiest visitors around,beaming with the joy of aromaticspices, bought from the 'haat'. Jamesfrom England was carrying back fivekg of rice home. He said that theSatvik Food Festival was an answerto the Genetically Modified food.

Consumer to Farmer: Khedut Haat- Farmers’ Fair

The farmers, engaged in organicfarming had the opportunity of sellingtheir products directly to the urban


8

buyers. The visitors were delighted to find someuncommon grains from the tribal areas of Gujaratlike old varieties of red rice, Krishna-kumud rice,local varieties of soyabean and minor millets likebawto, bunti, nagli and Black moong. Apart fromthe usual vegetables, the cocassia leaves and bulbs,drumstick, single-bulb garlic (good for heart),gooseberry, suran, ratalu were sold in goodvolume. The guava, cactus, tulsisudha, khattibhindi and takmaria (basil plant seed) juices wereprepared and sold by the farmers in the haat itself.Ramkrishna Hegde, a farmer from Karnatakabrought cardamom, clover, nutmeg and also localcoconut sweets for sale.

Some rare delicacies were only available at Satvik.They were banni ka mawa (a famous variety ofmawa only made in deserts of Banni region inKutchh, Gujarat), nagli ni sukhdi, kothumbura(cucumber) waffers, sharad saakar (sugarespecially prepared in the moonlight on the SharadPurnima). The visitors enjoyed the fresh chaas(buttermilk) of cow milk. Some interesting itemsfor sale in the haat were black soil and goats’droppings as fertilizer. Shilpa Mehta, a regularvisitor for four years, remarked that she couldnever find things available here, in the outsidemarkets. Swati Kachi wanted Food Festival to beextended by few more days.

Brain Teasers

NIF stall showcased variousinnovations like the amphibiousbicycle, pedaled washing machine.Hiteshbhai Bhrambhatt and fellowteachers from Kheda Zilla ShikshanSamiti put up 47 puppet showsfeaturing the importance of educationand environmental conservation.Ratilal Mandali, had on display 52cards, umbrella, and snakes andladders to teach Hindi, English andMaths.

Splashing the Creativity

The Satvik jostled with children’sactivities throughout the three days.SRISTI had distributed 1,50,000 freepasses to students. The talent huntcompetitions like drawing andpainting on theme of Satvik,

innovative idea, dancing, singing ,card-making, face painting andslogan writing contests kept thechildren engaged and entertained.Vinay Mahajan, an IIM alumnus andCharul Bharwada, an architect, from‘Loknaad’ touched everybody’sheart with the recital of songs on theissues of communal harmony, non-violence and the concern forcommon people.

Traditional Recipes

1. Theg nu Sheero (Pudding)Theg is a so called weed found mainlyin the Nalsarovar area near Ahmedabad.Take 250g of Theg. Grind it coarse.Roast it in 100g ghee, till it turnsbrown. Then add 100g jaggery andcook for a while. Let it cool and then

garnish it with desiccated coconut andchopped almonds. Sprinkle cardamompowder.

SRISTI lab got the theg weedchemically analyzed and found it tobe an extraordinary rich source ofCalcium and many other nutrients.Market for theg will directly enhanceincome generating opportunities forsome of the poorest people who collectthis plant.

2. Baans nu Sheero (Bamboo SeedsPudding)

Thresh the bamboo seeds mildly andlet the skin come out. Grind the seedscoarsely. Roast 250g of bamboo seedsin 100g ghee till they turn brown andthen add the jaggery. Let it cook fora while and then garnish it with thechopped almonds and cardamompowder.

3. Mahua ke Phool ke LaddooSweet Bolus made from Madhucalongifolia (J.Konig) J. F. Machr.

Mahua flowers are commonly foundin the tribal areas in almost all the partsof the country. To make the laddoostake 500g of flowers and groundthem till reduced to paste. Take 500gof wheat flour, add 75g of ghee andknead it hard. After making small balls

of it, either make bhakri (cooked onclay tawa or griddle) or bati (roastedin oven/bhatthi/chulha). After thebatis or bhakris cool, grind themcoarsely, sieve to get the powderedform. Now add the mahua paste and125g of ghee. Mix them properly andmake the laddoo.



31

For the populace of Ahmedabad, it was a rareopportunity to be able to appreciate more than300 different traditional food recipes made out ofa diverse range of plants and many with organicallygrown crop varieties. The central theme was todiscover and promote newer and sustainable waysof production as well as consumption of food andin the process create incentives for conservationof agro-biodiversity and healthy ecosystems

More than 40000 people visited the festival in threedays. There were 80 stalls, a 20 percent rise fromSattvik- 2008. Apart from several districts fromGujarat, one could also see energetic participationfrom Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh,Rajasthan and some other states.

Healthy fast food for children

The members of Prakruti Mahila Gruh Udyog,Ahmedabad had come with natural sweet itemslike biscuits and ice-cream made only from dry

fruits. Other healthy snacks werepatties made of different spinach types,coconut kachori, grain pizzas, panipurimade from soybean ,Verdcourt, vadas,thepla and gota made of maize; organicbakery products like chocolateswithout cocoa, bread, toasts, pizzabase, biscuits and muffins made offenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecunL.) were also an attraction. Shilpaben,a primary school teacher, wasextremely impressed by this concept.She said: “I always felt there was someneed to find a solution for the harmfulconsumption patterns of modern daychildren. But if biscuits, pizzas, andice-creams can be cooked in a healthyway, why worry?”

Health drinks: learning from users

Several health drinks caught theattention of visitors kashmiri tea‘kehwa’ (good for general health ofchildren), khati bhindi nu sharbatmade from Abelmoschus moschatusMedic. (believed to cure urinationproblems, controls blood pressure andcholesterol), cocum syrup (reporteduseful for skin and hair related

ailments), Ashtamrut soup made oftulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.), ginger,lemon and bilipatra and Panchratnasharbat (both are reportedly good forcuring tonsils, bad cough and increasemetabolism), suran nu soup made from(Amorphophallus campanulatus(Roxb.) Bl.ex Decne. said to reducefat), herbal coffee, caffeine free tea,organic tea from Darjeeling and others.Healthy food gave rise to some healthylearning too. For instance, KajalbenSoni, who sold saragva nu soup madefrom (Moringa oleifera Lam.) said,“I knew that this soup reducescholesterol and is good for joints, butI learnt from some visitors that it alsohelps cure breast cancer.” Jigna Joshi,who runs a cooking class inAhmedabad said: “I was thrilled toknow that kang no shiro is useful topregnant mothers, children, is easilydigestible and cures urination problems.I will surely teach its recipe to mycustomers.” An interesting stall wasGruh Udhyog: Dadima nu Vasam bySanjay Joshi, which had produced14 different items from amla (Indiangooseberry: Emblica officinalis GaertnF.) at one single place.

TRADITIONALFOOD

The Seventh Traditional Food Festival reaffirmed the growing demand for traditional food items and organicproducts; coupled with a sustainable lifestyle. About forty thousand visitors thronged not only around the foodcounters, but also shopped to see different innovations and gadgets promoting a healthy life style. Will Sattvik-2009 (19th to 21st December, 2009), trigger lasting changes in the food habit and life style remains to be seen.

Traditional Food Festival – SATTVIK VII 2009

Do you dare to seek admission for your children in unconventional schools?


32 A Dialogue on People’s Creativity, Experimentation & Innovation

NGOs, women groups and other socialinstitutions

Sales-women from RUDI (Rural and UrbanDevelopment Initiative), a company initiated bySEWA, called themselves ‘Rudis’ with pride andsold agro-products like spices, pulses, and cerealsalong with items like ‘agarbattis’. It is hoped thatthey would move towards organic ingredients nexttime.

Women from Aadhar Mahila Seva Trust, a groupof people infected and affected by HIV, soldkhichadi made of several grains, soyabean cutletsand amla nu sharbat. They are involved in severalseasonal businesses and work on the principle ofproviding employment to HIV infected people, atthe same time, utilizing revenues generated forthe betterment of such people. The women werevery much encouraged by the response they gotbut suggested that the Sattvik Festival be organizedon 2nd or 4th Saturday of the month or aroundChristmas when maximum people can visit it.

An Ahmedabad based NGO ‘People for Animals’which works for the basic rights of animals andbirds had set up a stall to sell their literature andspread awareness about their cause. MahendraShrimali from the same group said: “We are readyto collaborate with SRISTI on projects ofcommon interest.” Pitara Gujarat, an organizationinvolved in primary education in Madhya Pradeshfor 30 years exhibited books related to children.Their ARCH (Action Research in CommunityHealth) group publishes health related literature inGujarati. They also undertake students andteachers training in tribal areas of Gujarat.

Khedut Haat

More than 40 farmers from 30 different villagesdisplayed their organic products at the FoodFestival. The Khedut Haat looked flooded withfresh organically grown fruits like amla, lemon,guava, findla fal (Opuntia elatior Mill. Gard.)and others; food grains like wheat, basmati rice,pankhari rice (Oryza sativa L.), jowar; spices likelili haldhar, jeeru (Cuminum cyminum L.), lilulasan (Alliun sativum L.), lila dhana (Coriandrumsativum L.), lilo fudino and snacks likepaunva. Items that attracted a lot of attentionwere organic face pack, amla chavanprash,buttermilk masala, tulsi powder, henna powder,stavia (Stevia eupatoria )powder, Aloe vera juiceand others.

Recipe Contest - Health all the way

A Recipe Contest was held on 18th

December at IIM-A New Campus.The competition showed hugecultural and culinary diversity, when40 participants displayed more than120 different traditional dishes. Mostof the recipes had some form ofuniqueness either in terms ofingredients or in the way of cooking.Many items are reported to havehealing qualities against specificlifestyle related disorders and otherailments. Items like vegetable falacake, rotlo made of fenugreek, bittergourd and ragi (Eleusine coracanaL. Gaertn), sabji made fromfenugreek seeds, chapati made ofnagli (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)and other items control diabetes.Sangitaben Soni, a participant said:“Doctors advise diabetic patients toeat crushed fenugreek dana powder,but sabji prepared out of the sameis tasty and therefore one is morelikely to eat it regularly. Additionally,people who are allergic to mangojuice can consume it along with thissabji to get rid of the allergy.”Chayanikaben, winner of Recipecontest of 2008 prepared ‘halwamade of coconut, ‘khajur

drakshavadi’ and ‘bhaji-mogra nidhokli’; all items are iron-rich, solveacidity problems, increase memorypower and should especially beconsumed by women nearingmenopause. Many other items like‘alachi na ladu’ made from (Elettariacardamom) (good for waist pain,increases lactation in mothers withoutextra fat), ‘ragi ni sukhadi’, ‘saatdhan ni khichadi’ (made of sevendifferent grains), ‘nimani na marcha’(Capsicum annuum L.) and rotla’(cures acidity), raita made of grapes(reportedly relieves from allergy dueto curd), ‘Aloe vera roti’(strengthens digestive system),wood apple jam were prepared anddisplayed.

Urvashi Parek won the First Prize forher ‘fangaveli kalathi nu salad’, ‘javnu soup’ and ‘bathua ni bhaji’(Chenopodium album L.) The firstrunner-up was Nirjaben Pradhan whoprepared ‘ragi ni sukhadi’, ‘chil nibhaji’, ‘luni muthia’ and ‘muthia ofnagarvel leaves’. Vasantben Pandyabecame the second runner-up for her‘kang na ladu’, a sweet dish madeof Setaria italica. We hope to getentries for Sattvik 2010 from all overthe country.


33

- Chaitanyabhai, (teacher) from Lok Mitratrust:

“I do notexpect any helpin my work. Ihave alwaysreadily lenthelp, butbelieve incontinuing my

work even in absence of help and support.”

- Snake Lovers’ Club, (Vagmin Pandya,Dharmendra Trivedi, Bhumi Pandya)

Dharmendra Trivedi said: “Thereshould be at least one activity inthe life of each one of us, whichwe pursue selflessly, without anypersonal benefit. Our slogan is‘Don’t kill, just call.”

- Rambhai Charan, (the personwho has written more than40,000 request letters forplanting trees)

I amhappy tosay thatmany atimes, Ih a v ereceivedacknow-

ledgement for my letters andpeople have expressed their faithin my cause.”

- R P Bhimani (The person whotries to use solar energy for everypossible routine activity and hasdeveloped many solar gadgets)

“ M a n ejivan mas a u t h iv a d h uv h a l osurya che(I haveloved sun

the most in my life). It is anincessant source of energy.”

- Bemang Taniyang, (Herbalhealer)“In my work, many a times Iobserve that people do not knowthe usage of particular plantsbecause they do not grow in

SRISTISANMAN

Felicitating the Lone Crusaders

During the Traditional food festival, Sattvik 09, SRISTI, on behalf of the Honey Bee Network, conferred awardson some of the extraordinary people working zealously at the grassroots to support innovations and traditionalknowledge practices besides bringing about social change. A few quotes of some of the awardees are followedby selected brief profiles.




their respective regions. People know limitedusage of only local plants. I also advise mypatients on which plants to use and whichnot to pluck due to sustainability issues.”

- Orik Raalen (leads groups of women inArunachal to impart traditional knowledgeand also works on environment conservation)

“I am in search of a destination. I haven’t yet gotit.”

Profiles

Smt Indira Ramanathan, Maharashtra

I n d i r afollows the‘ z e r o -b u d g e tn a t u r a lf a r m i n gc o n c e p t ’given byBalakarji ofMaharashtra.She owns150 acresof landwhere sheg r o w s

paddy, chickoo, coconut, guava, cocoa and spiceslike nutmeg. She also grows teak, melia dubiaand other trees. She is an agriculturist for last 30years, with 10 years experience in organicfarming.

She practices the intercroppingtechnique to get maximum productivityout of her land. In between trees likemelia dubia and coconut, she growsareca nut and cocoa. She says: “Ifyou grow only coconut trees in a row,the space between two trees getswasted. Also, the coconut leaves thatshed is good mulch for the cropsgrown in between. Moreover, sunlightreaches the leaves of coconut trees,but not the soil underneath. Thiscreates a condition for bacteria to grow,which are carriers of nutrition.” Indirahas successfully used hard and rockymountainous land for agriculture,without even levelling it, by way ofdrip irrigation. Neighbouring farmersborrow seedlings from Indira. Shegets around four to six calls for adviceevery day.

Shri Kirankumar BhikhubhaiPatel, Gujarat

Kiranbhai has grown a nursery in theprimary school where he teaches, inSisodia, Navsari, Gujarat. Thenursery is home to 100-150ayurvedic species. He calls it‘Dhanvantari Aushadhi Park.’. Hehas opened an eco-club in his schoolmeant exclusively for children. Theytake turns to come on holidays, andSundays as well, to water the plantsgrown by Kiranbhai. He leaves his

school open for everyone in thevillage. Whoever wants to read orstudy, can sit comfortably under oneof the trees of his school.

His ambition: “I want more and morepeople to be inspired by this creationof mine. Education is not business buta training which can cultivate valuesin the society.” Many local schoolsin his region have taken a cue fromKiranbhai and started similar activities.

Shri Bamang Taniang, ArunachalPradesh

Since 2000, Bamang Taniang has beenresearching on the herbal/ medicinalplants and trying to cure people usinglocal medicines. He has, till now,treated 40-50 patients especially in thecases of malaria, typhoid andjaundice. He is also involved intraining the local youth for herbalpractices and to help them becomeherbal healers for their localities.

Prof Kuldeep Mathur conferring the SRISTI Sanman


35Do you dare to seek admission for your children in unconventional schools?

Honey Bee 10 years ago (Vol. 3(2) 26, 1992)

Sorry professor

I can’t survive on

your research papers

alone!

He has made community owned herbalgarden in his village and is trying to mobilizeothers to do the same; to conserve thebiodiversity of the region while preserving theancient wisdom of herbal medicines of thedifferent tribes each of which has a distinctculture and tradition.

He told that most of the tribes use their owndialect and hence there is possibility of acommunication gap between the tribes. He

wants to combine the knowledgeof all the tribes, research forauthenticity and share with themeach other’s knowledge.

Smt Orik Raalen, ArunachalPradesh

She leads groups of women inArunachal to impart traditionalknowledge and also works on

environment conservation. She collects theherbs basically from the vicinity of threevillages Sibut, Takilao and Yagrung. Shecollects herbs traditionally used for treatingdiabetes, hypertension and other ailments.She has learned from village elders and takentheir help to identify the correct species,which are later identified for their scientificnames and usage. She not only collects their

traditional knowledge but also shares herfindings with the herbal healers. Three yearsago, she formed a self-help group called“Sibut Ane Locali.” As a part of the groupshe is also involved in various horticulturalactivities.


17

SATTVIK-2010

For all the food lovers of Ahmedabad,the destination was IIM’s new

campus, when the Sattvik- 2010, the8th Traditional Food Festival wasorganized from 18th-20th December,2010. The food festival had 87 stallswith participation from various stateslike Chattisgarh, Bihar, Assam,Rajasthan and Orissa, apart fromGujarat. About 45000 visitors tastedthe traditional delicacies likebamboo rice and pickle, paranthas ofSaijan (Saragva) leaves and, Suratiponk. Contemporary recipes withtraditional ingredients like multigrainpizzas, nutritious products of Amla,Aloe vera and cactus fruits were alsothere to tantalise the taste buds. Aquiz which highlighted the pros andcons of fast food viz-a-viz traditionalfood was conducted for the children,along with drawing competitions,creative games, pottery wheelswhere children could express theircreativity and more. There was alsoa recipe competition to createawareness for food from rarely or un-cultivated plants. Indigenous organicgrains, fresh vegetables, books onayurvedic and herbal practices wereavailable for people to see and tasteand learn as well as take home. Ondisplay were innovations from NIF tosee and churn people’s mind to seekinnovative solutions to theirproblems. This food festival wasstarted eight years ago to popularisethe vanishing traditional recipes,

create market based incentives forthe conservation of agrobiodiversity

and incentivise the farmers to adoptorganic ways of growing cropsthrough consumer support.

Pattern in Particpation

Out of the 87 stalls, 23 were put upby farmers, 19 by non-governmentalorganizations, six were put up bypeople from other states and 39 byprivate owners. Among the 23 stallsput up by farmers, 13 were foodstalls and 10 were of variousproducts and purposes like nursery

pots, solar energy applications, and productsof SHG’s and cottage industries. Among the39 private stalls25 were that of food items withthe rest 14 selling other products like books,herbal products, utensils, herbal mouthfresheners, etc. Of the 19 stalls of the non-governmental organizations, 14 were forcreating awareness on a range of issues likeorganic food, ayurveda, herbal healing,environment and physiotherapy. Books wereavailable on subjects like healthy living,creativity, herbal remedies, spirituality, etc. Also,on display were grassroots innovations fromNIF which continued to catch attention of thepeople amidst eatables all around.

A bitter lesson

The innovator duo, Mushtaq and Fayyaz, hadbrought walnuts from Kashmir. Rajasthani“pyaz ki kachori” and dal bati churma offeredby Sundar Ramji was as always among thefavourites since the first food festival. The stallfrom Koraput sold chikkis made from bakedrice, which was sold out on the very first day.But, we are sorry to share that the owner, aneconomically poor tribesman from the Koraput,was robbed of his purse. Hence, he lost allthat he had earned. Though, we could notmake up for his emotional loss, he wasgiven an amount of Rs 5000 and ticket to goback home. Since the festival pulls a hugecrowd, it is at times difficult to control suchmishaps, but such incidences are reallyunfortunate.

Savouring Tradition, Sustaining Diversity

Is marriage between traditional knowledge and modern science possible?



Innovative and nutritious recipes

Several new food items wereintroduced: mahua based ice-cream,laddu, biscuit and bread; vegetable andbajra soup, sukhdi (a type sweet candy)made up of ragi flour, traditional palateof the tribals of Dang with rice chappatti,dhekra (also made up of rice flour). .Another popular attraction was jowarsoup. There was also garlic chapatti,dahi wali undhiyo, baigan bharta withcurd, guava drink, multigrain laddu andsarson ki bhajji with bajra rotla. A varietyof delicacies were made from ragi likeladdu, sandwich dhokla and dosa; othercrowd pullers were oat uttapam, kang,maize, oat pizza, pineapple kheer, suratiundhiyo, mung dal nu sirra, puran poli,chikoo and saunf ice-cream, naglisukhri and kuler (sweet dishes), tuvartotha, amaranth laddu, and drumsticksoup. The fruit biscuits made withoutmixing with any kind of flour and fruit ice-creams prepared right in front of theconsumers were quite popular.

Recipe competition

The competition mobilised the culinaryskills of 45 women and two men, eightwere given prizes. The participants hadblended nutrit ion, tradition andcontemporary tastes and preferences.Ranjanben Shah made parantha ofseven types of grains and made kadhifrom germinated fenugreek. NitabenPanchal made bajra and date laddu,pizza of finger millet, Chenopodiumalbum leaves and capsicum; JyotibenBhatt made kodri (Paspalumscrobiculatum) and ragi vasanu (sweetdish usually made in winters);Sangeetaben Soni made rabri malpua

of mahua (Madhuca indica) and lotusstem, betel leaves tikki (kind of cutlets),ice cream made from mahua andcashewnuts; satavari (Asparagusracemosa), ashwagandha and oatbiscuits by Adi Ausadhya group fromDedhiyapara; Taraben Patel made kang(Setaria italica) laddu, soyabean thepla,sarson (mustard) muthiya and Murrayachutney. Germinated ragi kheer wasmade by Arunaben Salot. These arebeing compiled in the next edition of thebook on The Forgotten Recipes.

Khedut Haat: verifying claims aboutorganic cultivation

SRISTI- mitras (volunteers), along withthe local NGOs, went to the fields of thefarmers who participated in the foodfestival and verified the authenticity oftheir claim of the products being organic.This year, 43 farmers participated withthe total sale of approximately Rs 12.5lakh over three days with the maximumrevenue generated by the women groupfrom Jasdan. Organically grown bajra,white and black sesame, green bean,

moth bean, groundnut, wheat, rice, blackmung, gram, nagli (Finger millet,Eleusine coracana), Kodo millet(Paspalum scrobiculatum), maize,yam, turmeric, chilly varieties, neem,amla juice, mango juice, aloe vera juice,ginger, white turmeric, honey, bamboocrafts, pickle of bamboo stem, bambooshoot pickle, etc., were other popularitems.

Fun, food and knowledge sharing

A quiz highlighting the pros and cons offast food and traditional food wasconducted for the children. In addition,drawing competitions, creative games,clay modelling etc., were also organised.Performance of traditional dance by thetribals of Dangs was another highlightof the festival. In one of the competitions,children were asked to move aroundand memorize as many food items asthey could in a time frame of fifteenminutes. To the surprise of many, manychildren could memorize as many as50 items.

Innovations on display

NIF, SRISTI and GIAN-West together putup an exhibition of innovations. Amongthe exhibits that were displayed, werebullock operated sprayer of RadheyShyam Sharma, Madhya Pradesh, solarmosquito destroyer of Mathews KMathew, Kerala, folding bicycle ofSandeep Kumar, Bihar, coffee makingcooker of Md Rozadeen, Bihar, twinchambered cooker of Abdul Razaak,Tamil Nadu. The festival gave severalinnovators a platform to interact with thepublic such as: Mansukhbhai Prajapatiwith his earthen product range, GopalBhai Surtia with his cow dung cup fornurseries, Hussain Ajmeri with his gasoperated iron, Arvindbhai Patel with hisnatural water cooler, Sheikh Nazim with


19

BOOK REVIEW

his stencil cutter. There was a poster exhibitionas well inviting the visitors to think creativelyand come up with innovative ideas to bedeposited in the idea boxes kept at differentplaces in the pandal.

Visitors’ feedback

Dr Rakesh Bhavsar and his wife appreciatedthat events like this taught children about ourtraditional food and also about their nutritionalvalue. They visited Sattvik on all the three daysand suggested that representation of all thedistricts should be ensured in the festival. Thistime, the Kathiawadi stalls were more innumber. The recipes if displayed outside thestall would spread more awareness and itwould also help people to try cooking it athome. Prof. Pragnesh Suthariya said that thefrequency of the festival should be increased.About increasing the frequency, around 20%of the total respondents in a survey done byPK Satheesh, a Honey Bee Network volunteer,replied in the affirmative. In the same survey,the top three suggestions were dust proofingthe festival (32%), drinking water availability(27%) and food stalls from outside the state ofGujarat (27%). Some of the visitors also feltthat the festival could be made more inte-resting by introducing traditional games for kidsbecause the urban kids were getting away fromthe traditional/ local games like spinning top,gilli-danda and other games and these mightalso disappear like our traditional food, crafts,etc. The idea of a common pass for three days(i.e. people could get passes for all the threedays together) was also voiced by many.

This book is a compilation of forty-sixnarratives from a diverse range ofindividual achievers from differentstratas of life; from corporate leadersto scientists and social scientists,sportspersons to musicians, diplomatsand doctors, the book truly raisesMahatma Gandhi from ‘the hero’ stature,transcending his philosophy into‘Gandhism-the way of life.”

For example Ashok Jhunjhunwala, whileadvocating reduced consumption akinto the Gandhian thought of aparigrahmentions that Goodness ought to bepreferred over greatness. Ela benstresses that when we focus onwomen, we find allies for a stablecommunity; as “she is the forger ofbonds-in her, essentially you have acreator, a preserver”. In fact Gandhianthought echoes in every narrative of thisbook and is a reminder that time forpausing to reflect and undertake acourse correction has arrived.

Edited by Mashelkar, it is easy to seethat having received so many laurels inscience, a reorientation in Dr Mashelkar’sthinking was waiting to happen. TheGandhian engineering and getting morefrom less for many (MLM) are theoffshoots of that rethinking. In editor’swords, “I asked myself, what wasIndia’s greatest gift to the world in thetwentieth century?” It was not of hercadre of young software professionalsor medicine practitioners (species likelyto be more easily spotted in othercountries than India perhaps), or herstatus as the fastest growing economy,not even her achievement as an ownerof nuclear expertise; it was Gandhi”.

Echoing the same sentiment, though ina different form even the greatestbatsman of all time, Sachin Tendulkartoo says that “He never seemed to forcethem (the British), He gently led theminto believing in the cause….”.

Nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar) realizeda part of Gandhiji’s dream of “Inclusiveinnovation” when BARC startedAKRUTI- a societal initiative for utilizationof Non-Power application and spin off

technologies with the help of localNGOs. Even Arnavez Aga, well knowncorporate leader, states that “just beforehis death, Gandhi urged the U.S. toabandon the atomic bomb and yet hisown country-India exploded a nucleardevice in 1974 euphemistically calling ita peaceful nuclear explosion…….”Reading Gandhism and Ahimsa indifferent context and capacities, thereaders might find the arguments addingdiverse dimensions to their owninterpretations.

Solution science

Samir Brahmachari, DG, CSIR, refers toCSIR 800 in the context of creatingGlobal Public goods in sync with theGandhian spirit. Open Source DrugDiscovery (OSDD), he felt would havebeen applauded by Gandhi, if he wasalive today. Extending the context ofhealth, Abhay Bang refers to themovement they launched against thesale of liquor in Ghadchiroli. Withoutstopping sale of liquor, health and wellbeing of tribals could not have beenenvisioned at all. Ramasamy recalls hisexperience with leather sector toillustrate how generating jobs for lowincome leather workers would haveappealed to Gandhi as a pursuit of whathe calls the solution science; servingthe masses rather than the classes.

The Museum of Tolerance cites one ofMartin Luther King, Jr quotes, “Tributeto ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi was inevitable. Ifhumanity is to progress, Gandhi isinescapable.” At the heart of thebook lies the concern aboutreinforcement of Gandhian presence inour day to day life.. When burdenbecomes a responsibility, and whenconcerns trigger creativity, weencounter Gandhi in action”.

This is a must book for not just librariesbut also for keeping as a collector’sedition on one’s work station, gifting it tofriends or keeping it near one’s sleepingbed; who knows, when a thought ofcompassion may strike somebody andthe thoughts of Gandhism may startrolling out an unfinished agenda again.

(all proceeds from this book will go to Gandhi NationalMemorial Society), Rs 490

Timeless Inspirator-Reliving Gandhi,R A Mashelkar, Ed., 2010, Pune: SakalPublications

Will you stand by the IPR's of the peasants?

SRISTI Innovations NewPublications

1. Creativity Counts : Editorial of HoneyBee Newsletter 1990 to 2010

2. Being the way one is: Stories thatsustain the spirit

3. Why do people innovate: Acompendium of profiles of grassrootsinnovators and traditional knowledgeholders

Being the way one is:Stories that sustain the spirit

Creativity Counts :Editorial of Honey Bee Newsletter

1990 - 2010



TRADITIONALFOOD FESTIVAL

The Ninth Annual Traditional FoodFestival- Sattvik, was organized bySRISTI at IIM, Ahmedabad campusduring December 16 to 18, 2011 withthe support of the Honey Bee Networkincluding GIAN, NIF and IIMA.

Sattvik aims to conserve agro-biodiversity and create demand fortraditional crops sparsely cultivated. Italso tries to bring lesser known butnutrient-rich food to the urban people,helping them to adopt healthier foodhabits and lifestyles.SRISTI also

launched some healthy food productsunder the brand name SRISTI natural.

Over three days, more than 45,000people visited the festival. A wide varietyof exotic recipes such as parathas fromleaves of Saijan (Saragva), multigrainpizzas, nutritious products of Amla, Aloevera, Cactus fruits, Qahwah (Kashmiritea), Mahua ice cream, Brahmi khakhraand biscuits, different kinds ofUndhiyon, Surati Ponk, Samo ki Idli;Kodri, Bunty, Jowar, Bajra and Makai kiRoti were available.

Similarly, representatives of the Brokpatribe from Arunachal Pradesh broughthandloom bags and handicrafts madeof yak hair. Recipes from Assam,Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand and manyother regions were offered to all thosewho wanted to learn new ways ofcombining taste, diversity, nutrition, andaesthetics. ‘Jail na Bhajiya’, preparedby the inmates of Sabarmati Central Jailtantalised the taste-buds and earned agood reputation as well.

Around 300 varieties of differenttraditional dishes made out of 450ingredients were served during thethree day festival. Like every year, theVanagi Harifai - Sattvik recipecompetition was held one day prior tothe food festival. The pre-event hadmore than 105 food items wereprepared by the participants. Thewinning recipe was the panchratnasoup made of eight leafy vegetablesand tripach laddu made from ragi,fenugreek, gram flour, sonth (driedginger powder), gond (edible gum)

prepared by Smt. Usha Jani.Other recipes were chocolatefudge cake made from wheatand ragi flours, chikki madefrom flax seeds, boiled dahi

wada made from kodri seeds andstuffed with vegetables, multigrainbasket chat, seven grain sweet paratha,ragi date halvasan, jowar and maizekhandvi.

Jyotsana Sinha, who runs an NGO,introduced various dishes from Biharlike litti chokha, makhana, ghughnichooda, pittha chokha, traditional Biharisweets (sattu laddu), etc. Many liked the

traditional Amritsari Kadhi too. This rarevariety was presented together by PoojaSharma from Uttar Pradesh who runsSavera – a NGO working for children andPrabhakaran, a business man fromMadhya Pradesh. “It takes almost eighthours to cook this traditional kadhi which

Sattvik: Savouring the sweet & sourA cultural milieu to revive the forgotten tastes and hence the forgotten ties!

Honey Bee Vol 22(4) & 23(1) October - December 2011 & January - March 2012 15

contains almost 15 types of spices andeight different vegetables,” the duoinformed.

Dorris Salam and her team from MSUniversity Baroda offered traditionalManipuri food items viz. pakanam, uttiand chakaou which contained endemiclichens, nutritive mushrooms and otherherbs found particularly in Manipur.Sanjan Toppo and three other friendsbrought delicacies like arsa peetha,dhuska, etc. from Jharkhand.

There were a lot of activities for children,including a quiz and competitionshighlighting their creativity andknowledge on biodiversity. Childrenalso tried their hand at potterymaking. Among other things, therewas an exhibition of innovationsorganized by National InnovationFoundation (NIF).

SRISTI Samman - 2012

On the basis of outstanding contribution in conserving biodiversity, diffusingtraditional knowledge and bringing about other social changes, SRISTIawarded eight people with SRISTI Samman on December 16, 2011 at theannual Sattvik food festival at IIM Ahmedabad.

Mr. Badabhai Manat was honoured forrelentlessly working for decades toimpart knowledge on local biodiversityto children. His wife, Mrs. GangabenManat was honoured as well. She hascontinued her husband’s mission inthe government primary school locatedin a tribal area.

Mr. Darge Tsering (32) from ArunachalPradesh has conserved more than 22 indigenous breeds/types of yak anddeveloped mithak male and female breeds based on informal breeding ofmithun (male) and yak (female). His idea was to bring desirable changesin the male mithak to have better stamina for combating climatic variabilityat higher altitude and high milk productivity in female mithak.

Mrs. Urgen Pema (34) was awardedfor mobilizing Brokpa women for thepurpose of adding value to culturallyimportant products made of sheepand yaks’ wool. She has also trainedthem to preserve Chhurpi (wetcheese; a fermented milk product ofyak) and selling it in the local market.

Mr. Kamleshbhai Kosambia, aninnovative teacher from Valiya Taluka(Bharuch district, Gujarat) wasrecognized for his innovativemethodology to transferintergeneration knowledge among hisstudents.

Dr. Paresh Rawal, Principal,RC Technical Institute,Ahmedabad was awarded forpromoting sparrowconservation. He took theinitiative to make speciallydesigned earthen bird’s nestsand set them up at publicplaces.

Mr. Rengaswami, anotherSamman recipient has madea small tractor and otheragricultural implements to

improve crop productivity.

Mr. Jitendrabhai Tarawadia (Amreli, Gujarat) was awarded for his notable rolein bridging the gap between formal and informal sciences. He used toorganize meetings and darbar (seminar) in school and colleges where he

recognized herbal healers and formal doctors of Ayurveda.

When did you confess to your children last that you did not know the answer to their question?

Dr. Paresh Rawal

Mr. RengaswamiMr. JitendrabhaiTarawadia

Mr. Badabhai Manat &Mrs. Gangaben Manat

Mr. KamleshbhaiKosambia

Windmill for salt manufacturing

Another attraction for the visitors wasa low cost windmill and the salt producedby using it. This windmill was originallymade by using bamboo by MehtarHussain and Mushtaq Ahmed fromAssam. The same was redesigned forthe use of salt farmers of Gujarat topump up underground saline water withthe help of Chaudhary Fabricators. Ateam of four students from DelftUniversity of Technology, the Netherlandsalso worked with GIAN West to makesome improvements.

sattvik report in english

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