World Food Day Celebration 2025
Nagercoil
A one-day event commemorating World Food Day 2025 was held on 25 October 2025 at the Meeting Hall, APPTA Market, Nagercoil. The event was jointly organized by CREATE – Save Our Rice Campaign, the Agricultural Products Producers and Traders Association (APPTA), Nagercoil, the Nagercoil Women’s Consumer Protection Centre, and Holy Cross College (Autonomous), Nagercoil.
More than 200 participants — including farmers, consumers, students, traders, organic outlet representatives, researchers, and academicians — took part in the event.
Mr. R. Ponnmambalam, Managing Trustee of CREATE, welcomed the gathering and introduced the theme for this year: “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future.” He emphasized the importance of focusing on nutritional security rather than merely food security.
Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam, Chairman of CREATE, highlighted the organization’s ongoing initiatives, including nutritional analysis of traditional paddy varieties in collaboration with NIFTEM-T, expert consultations, and outreach programs aimed at farmers, consumers, and policymakers.
The Chief Guest, Dr. R. Menaka, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai, spoke about the alarming rise in diabetes, obesity, and other non-communicable diseases. She noted that many consumers remain unaware of these health issues and stressed the need for dietary changes — reducing the intake of polished white rice and oils, and increasing the consumption of locally available vegetables, fruits, greens, and pulses.
Dr. Menaka explained the “Healthy Plate Concept” and encouraged beginning meals with more vegetables and fruits. Beyond food choices, she highlighted the importance of physical activity, walking, yoga, and conscious family planning in grocery purchases to promote health and nutrition awareness.
Dr. E. Vidhubala, President of Anumannathi, FED of Kavalkinaru, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to address the nutritional crisis. She called for collaboration among civil society organizations, academics, farmers, consumer groups, and traders to advocate for government policies prioritizing health and nutrition. She added that such events gain meaning only when they lead to continued engagement, knowledge sharing, and behavioral change at both individual and family levels.
ongoing research on traditional rice varieties in academic and research institutions and emphasized the need to expand such studies to include more varieties.
As an advisory member of the global Agro Ecology Fund, he shared inspiring examples from Africa and Asia, where communities are reviving their agricultural heritage by reintroducing local livestock breeds, such as camels and horses, which are integral to their farming traditions. Sridhar also discussed the African Food Sovereignty Alliance’s “Our Food is African” campaign, encouraging a similar collective effort in Tamil Nadu to promote Tamil food culture.
Dr. S. P. Leema Rose, Head of the Department of Botany, Holy Cross College, encouraged consumers to grow their own food to reduce chemical contamination. She urged people to identify and support local farmers and be aware of how their food is produced.
Mrs. Usha Kumari from Thanal NGO addressed the misconception that organic products are unaffordable. She pointed out that while consumers rarely question price increases for non-food goods, they often object when it comes to food — a mindset that must change. She advocated for stronger farmer–consumer connections to foster mutual trust and understanding.
Mr. Sridhar Radhakrishnan, an environmentalist from Thiruvananthapuram, shared insights from his recent visit to Cuba, where communities actively engage in food production despite economic hardships. He spoke about the nutritional richness of Moringa leaves and emphasized the importance of meal planning that integrates nutrition and health awareness.
Students of Holy Cross College participated enthusiastically in a traditional food recipe competition, with the best three entries awarded prizes.
On behalf of CREATE, three special awards were presented to:
• Mr. Belin Gold Sukinth, farmer, for achieving high yields in traditional paddy cultivation.
• Dr. Jasmine Asir, Nagercoil Women’s Consumer Association, for her continuous efforts in protecting consumer health.
• Advocate A. Vins Andro, for his contributions to water management at the grassroots level.
APPTA also presented awards to:
• Mrs. R. Shelin Mary, President, Malar, Kaliyamkaadu, for leadership in empowering SHGs.
• Mr. N. Swaminathan, for responsible journalism.
• Mrs. S. Floribai, for her dedication to combating violence against women.
Mr. K. Suresh Kanna, Project Director, facilitated the event, and Dr. Swarnalatha proposed the vote of thanks.