By Biswajit Mondal & Maruf Hossain, Shyamnagar, Satkhira
A day-long uncultivated food plants cooking contest and Food Festival was held on 24 November at the West Jelekhali Agro-Ecology Learning Center in Munshiganj Union, Shyamnagar. The event aimed to promote the collection, conservation, and use of uncultivated food plants that grow naturally in homesteads, canals, wetlands, and forests.
The festival was organized by Green Coalition and local community, with support from BARCIK. Farmers, students, teachers, journalists, local representatives, and civil society members participated in the event.
Sixteen women and men from five community participated in the contest, each cooking one dish using uncultivated food plants such as taro leaves, water spinach, pennywort, lotus, wild fig, banana blossom, telakachu, and others.
The program included cooking, tasting, and discussions. Speakers emphasized the importance of protecting local plant diversity amid climate change, salinity intrusion, and excessive use of chemicals. They said that wild uncultivated food plants are nutritious, sustainable, and part of the region’s traditional food culture.
After tasting, a panel of judges selected the winners youngouth farmer Prashanta Naskar secured the first place while Student Joba and Farmer Jharnna Rani Mondal secured 2nd and 3rd places respectively.
Prizes were awarded to encourage women’s contributions to food security and to inspire the younger generation to conserve local biodiversity.
