Reviving Bengal’s Heritage: Mukti’s Role in the Safe Food Festival 2024

On June 7th and 8th, 2024, the Mukti agriculture team participated in the “Safe Food Festival,” an event organized by the Government of West Bengal to support sustainable farming families. The festival took place at the Organic Market near the Newtown Jatragachi bus stop in Kolkata and featured a diverse array of participants, including 20 organizations and 100 farmers from across West Bengal. The event attracted nearly 2,000 visitors.

The festival offered a rich program, including seminars, exhibitions of organic products, and food stalls offering sit-down meals. Notable attendees included former Agriculture Minister Mr. Purnendu Basu and Hon’ble Member of Lok Sabha Ms. Dola Sen.

Mukti managed two stalls at the festival—one for exhibitions and another for food. At the exhibition stall, Mukti farmers showcased a variety of indigenous rice seeds, crops, and organic manure. In the food stall, Mukti Kitchen highlighted the lost flavors of Bengal’s village cuisine, offering visitors a taste of traditional dishes.

Six farmers from Raidighi Bio Village represented Mukti, engaging with visitors and authorities to discuss the farming conditions in their communities. During their visit to Mukti’s stalls, officials from the West Bengal Government’s “Sufal Bangla” department assured the farmers of their full support. They committed to purchasing Mukti farmers’ products and promised to facilitate the distribution of these products to residents throughout Kolkata on a larger scale in the future.

The response to Mukti’s stalls was overwhelmingly positive, with many visitors expressing their appreciation and intent to return for their daily essentials. The successful participation of Mukti in the Safe Food Festival underscored the organization’s dedication to promoting sustainable agriculture and preserving the rich culinary heritage of Bengal.

Gallery link: https://muktiweb.org/gallery/album/mukti-participated-in-the-safe-food-festival-at-new-town-kolkata