Traditional foods on show at festival

The festival was inaugurated last year to promote natural, diverse and nutritious local foods in a bid to resist the imposition of harmful and unsustainable food systems being pushed on citizens by a very well–resourced food industry.

A spokesperson for the organisers of the event, Caroline Jacquet, said the overall aim of this year’s event was to encourage producers and consumers to embrace food systems that produce, process and market healthy and nutritious foods in a sustainable way.

“Our goal is to promote the production and consumption of traditional and organic foods, which are now internationally regarded as the healthier options,” said Jacquet.

Som 40 stallholders will display a variety of food and drinks at the festival. “There will be stalls run by small-scale organic farmers and food businesses, government ministries and NGOs, among others. Farmers will come from different parts of the country. A diversity of traditional, nutritious foods from Zimbabwe and other countries will also be available “she said.

Jacquet, who is also Bio-Innovation in Zimbabwe (BIZ) projects manager, said this year’s festival would offer a unique opportunity for the participants and the public to meet and interact with key players involved in traditional and organic foods. Pop-up restaurants will be selling lunch, snacks and drinks in line with the festival’s theme. Mindful that habits starts early in life, Jacquet said this year’s festival would also afford children with the opportunity to learn more about healthy foods and lifestyles.

Several groups have collaborated in setting up the event. They include BIZ, Zimbabwe Adding Value to Sustainable Agriculture Produce (ZAVSAP), Cluster Agricultural Development Services (CADS), Zimbabwe Organic Producers and Promoters Association (ZOPPA), Food Matters Zimbabwe and representatives from various government ministries such as the ministries of Health and Child Welfare, Agriculture and Mechanisation and the Industry and Commerce.