For centuries, people in Asia and the Pacific have been growing and consuming a wide variety of highly nutritious food crops, including native and wild varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, fishes, and other foods found in the mountains, forests, or bodies of water, or grown on community farms and gardens. Smallholder family farmers have been the custodians of these species and their biodiverse systems.
However, modern agriculture, aiming to achieve immediate profits, encourages the use of commercial seeds and crops instead of native ones. This resulted in the disappearance of many native food varieties in the production chain as well as the changing of the food habits of the people. Many communities moved away from producing indigenous foods, which are now close to being forgotten. These crops are referred to as neglected and underutilized species (NUS) by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
These forgotten foods are crucial for their multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits, particularly to the local farming communities. Thus, it is important to revive traditional agriculture and reproduce neglected specifies and varieties of indigenous crops.
In celebration of the International Women’s Day on March 8, the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC) invites female members of the farmers’ organizations under the Asia-Pacific Farmers Program (APFP) and Farmers Organizations for Asia (FO4A) to join the “Women Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition: Forgotten Foods Cooking Contest”. In this cooking contest, the challenge is to prepare native dishes that will highlight the use of forgotten indigenous/native/heirloom food crops as one of the main ingredients.
OBJECTIVES
This activity aims to:
- Raise awareness on many forgotten native or indigenous food crops and promoting the production and consumption of these crops;
- Recognize the role of farming communities, in particular women farmers, as keepers and conservators of indigenous crops;
- Recognize the role of women in promoting nutrition in their households by integrating native foods into local cuisines;
- Highlight the nutritional value of forgotten indigenous foods;
- Showcase the rich biodiversity of Asia and the Pacific;
- Put into the spotlight the exquisite native cuisines and food cultures of Asia and the Pacific; and
- Boost the visibility of APFP-FO4A on social media.
WHO CAN JOIN
- Women farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples, forest users, herders, pastoralists, etc.
- Must be a member of a farmer group under the APFP-FO4A platform (as certified by the National Farmer Organizations (NFO) and National Implementing Agency (NIA))
The deadline for submission of entries is on 8 April 2022.