We Feed The Planet: Day 2

This one was a toughie! There were so many discussion tracks I wanted to attend, but all of them were AT THE SAME TIME! I had a bit of a hard time choosing.

The conference tracks for Day 2 -- how to choose, what to choose?!

One discussion that I attended and enjoyed very much, was “Edible Insects – Novel or Novelty?”, conducted by the Nordic Food Lab.

What defines a "Novel" food - according to the European Commission

What defines what is edible? Why do many people perceive insects as inedible? Why should we consider eating insects? Is it only for nutritional and environmental benefits? Or do they lend a whole new range of flavors and textures that are so far untapped and under-appreciated?

The anatomy of an insect - why eat all the tough and chewy parts? Why not treat it the same way you'd treat a chicken?

These were the kind of ideas that the speakers discussed. Edible insects are a section of food that has fascinated me for a while. Having eaten Mexican grasshoppers for the first time when I was about 10, and then tried red ant chutney in Chhattisgarh when I was 15, I’ve never really felt “grossed out” about exploring them as a food group. But unfortunately, neither have I had much opportunity to explore them further. I haven’t come across much in Bangalore.

Wasp Larve

The other discussion of Day 2 that I enjoyed was “Intercultural Gastronomy – indigenous seeds, breeds and principles”. This was a discussion on how indigenous food practices can be used to sustain the future of food. I had the idea that the discussion would be about how we can use principles and practices from indigenous communities at a broader level to create more sustainable food systems in non-indigenous regions as well.

However in the discussion, 8 indigenous people from around the world spoke about how they are working in their community to keep their indigenous foods and food practices alive, while helping their communities to grow.

This was not what I had originally thought the talk would be about. But it was just as heartening - if not more! Because it spoke about how these indigenous people are working towards preserving their heritage, and not letting it get lost in today’s greedy and destructive food system. I believe it is important that these practices stay alive and thrive today, so that we could learn from them tomorrow.

8 indigenous people from around the world, telling their amazing stories of sustainability

The meeting ended with FAO introducing their new initiative to build a network of young indigenous peoples from around the world, who can work together towards keeping indigenous heritages alive, and preserve their knowledge for the future.

Although I could not attend all the tracks that I wanted to that day, I did learn quite a few new things. And of course, made some more new friends! 

A gentleman from Japan, who shared with me some beautiful fermented black garlic
More on that later so stay tuned!