Nature Seychelles promotes local food through campaign |10 June 2014
Local environmental non-governmental organisation, Nature Seychelles, has for some time been promoting the production and consumption of local food through a national campaign.
The initiative called ‘Grow and Eat Your Own Food Campaign’ has been done through the cultivation of a traditional garden at the organisation’s headquarters at Roche Caïman and the publication of a book entitled ‘Grow and eat your own food Seychelles’.
After the book’s first edition containing practical advice on community and home gardening accompanied by photographs was outsold after only six
months, Nature Seychelles found it necessary to produce a second edition. The new version has been made more interesting with the inclusion of local recipes.
It was launched yesterday afternoon by Designated Minister Vincent Meriton at a short ceremony at the Botanica Restaurant at St Louis, in the presence of Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange, principal secretary for natural resources Michel Nalletamby, chief executive of the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) Marc Naiken, chief executive of Nature Seychelles Nirmal Jivan Shah and other guests.
Minister Meriton congratulated Nature Seychelles for the campaign which he said will be a contribution to food security in the country. Observing a recent increase in home gardens, he commended the Ministry of Natural Resources and the SAA for promoting back yard farming.
“If more people grow their own food we will have healthier bodies and minds,” Minister Meriton said, before recommending the book for all those who wish to cultivate a small garden.
On his part, Minister St Ange took the guests present through a historical journey among local plants. He reminded that plants like cotton, coconut and cinnamon were once pillars of the Seychelles economy. He recalled that two million coconut palms grew at one point in Seychelles and that the country once held the record as the highest vanilla producing British colony.
The Tourism and Culture Minister said that while plants retain an important place in our gastronomy, it is essential to protect what we have and grow what we have lost for the benefit of the long-term sustainability of Seychelles.