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Exhibition
11-15 February 2010
 The exhibition organized in connection with the Annam National
Food and Agro-biodiversity Festival, held at Baby Marine Ground,
Kozhikkode, was attended by over 100 government and
non-government organizations and individuals, with their
exhibits displayed in 172 stalls. The governmental organizations
participated in the Exhibition included Department of Ayush (G.O.I),
National Rural Health Mission, State Information and Public
Relations Department, Coconut Development Board, Coffee Board,
Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Central Marine
Fisheries Research Institute, various R&D institutes under the
KSCSTE, Indian Institute for Spices Research, Central Plantation
Crops Research Institute, NABARD, NAFED and K-BIP. The major
non-governmental organizations participated in the Exhibition
were M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), International
Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA), World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), Foundation for Revitalisation of Local
Health Traditions (FRLHT), Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology
and The Environment (ATREE), Malabar Natural History Society,
Himalaya Drug Company, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy(Coimbatore) etc. The
prime sponsor of the programme, Cholayil Sanjeevanam, displayed
an array of their products in their stall. Documentaries on
Cholayil Ayurvedic Health and Research Academy and Cholayil
Medicinal Plant Conservation Park were exhibited. Kottakkal Arya
Vaidya Sala displayed the concept of food in Ayurveda and
showcased the rich diversity of medicinal plants in India. The
stalls highlighting the advantages of Indian Systems of
Medicine, including Department of Ayush, also offered free
consultation services to the visitors.
 The tribal groups from Waynad exhibited ethnic food and crops in
their stalls, in addition to handicrafts made from local
resources. The rich genetic diversity of Indian rice, including
the medicinal Navara, scented Gandhakasala, Chennellu, Ponnari,
Vellari, Medapuncha, Arikkurai, and Varinellu, mangoes, coffee,
tuber crops, millets, etc. formed part of the agro-biodiversity
exhibition. Rural products such as areca-frond utensils,
products from coconut, tribal medicines, terracotta products,
pottery and handicrafts were on display. Farm-fresh plantains,
yams and other vegetables were also available both for display
and sale. Further, the Kasargod dwarf cattle, a rare and
endangered variety of local breed of cow were also exhibited at
the venue.
Another attraction was display of more than 100 varieties of
food products prepared from jackfruit. Seed varieties that are
facing extinction were also exhibited at the festival.
Horticulture and garden nurseries selling saplings and seeds
were another attraction. Village Market and Food Court were also
arranged in connection with the Exhibition.
Agri Friends who played a major role in organising the village
market succeeded in bringing diversity of Tuber Crops in Kerala
and offered food products made from them. Another highlight of
the Festival was the exhibition of Geographic Indications in
food by CISSA, which included Marayoor Sarkara, Njavara Rice,
Ramasseri Idli and Vazhakkulam pineapple. CISSA also arranged a
stall that exhibited a variety of food fish available in the
inland water bodies of Kerala.
CISSA arranged a “Kitty Show”, by the ventriloquist Shri Vinod
Naranat, to highlight the ill effects of junk foods on human
species. In addition, through a poster exhibition comprising
over 100 posters, the impacts of junk food on human health,
advantages of traditional food and values of agro-biodiversity
in maintaining food security, were highlighted by CISSA.
Selected photographs of participants in the National Photography
Competition organized by CISSA were also displayed in the
Exhibition.
The book exhibitions in the exhibition venue were organized by
Mathrubhumi, Navdanya New Delhi, FRLHT, AYUSH and CISSA.
Food Court
11-15 February 2010
 The food court serving traditional healthy food was the major
attraction during the Festival. The region specific diversity in
cookery practices in the state, many of which is now
disappearing from normal use, were on the show in the food
festival. CISSA made separate counters for serving traditional
food and drinks of Kerala. An entire array of stalls selling
ready-to-eat ethnic foods at the food court attracted large
number of visitors. The items included traditional snacks like
ragi appam, scented terali appam, edana appam, ada,
kozhukkatta.etc.
Various preparations based on local health food traditions like
Adalodakam koottu, a mixture made from Malabar Nut leaves and
other herbs which helps to purify blood and get rid of lung
related health problems like coughing, phlegm etc. were also on
display. Many stalls provided traditional Malabar food items to
the visitors.
 'Aranmula Valla Sadya' (in Malayalam, 'vallam' means boat and 'sadya'
is feast')served in the Food Court every day was the major
attraction. this is a traditional feast annually held at the
Parthasarathy temple in Aranmula on Ashtami Rohini day.
Originally at Aranmula the feast is served first to the oarsmen
of 41 snake-boats who participate in the procession singing in
chorus. It consists of the main dish rice with 54 vegetarian
side dishes. Different from the usual Sadya, the 'Valla Sadya'
has four varieties of pickle, six varieties of chips, and a
smattering of snacks, including 'unniyappom' and 'Parippu Vada',
five varieties of 'Payasam' and three 'Pappadams' including the
big and small types. The sequence of each item and the
combinations of consumption has scientific reasons and are based
on the native sciences like Ayurveda. The nutritional value of
the various items in their native form highlighted the great
wisdom of the native food culture.
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