Attendees during the observance of World Food Day 2025 at Government Middle School, Pfutseromi, under Phek district of Nagaland.
Imphal/Pfutseromi, October 22 (MExN): Continuing the global celebrations, the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur and Government Middle School (GMS), Pfutseromi, marked World Food Day 2025 under the global theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future.”
The event was organised as part of the ongoing project “Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity Conservation for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods,” sponsored under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), through the GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, the NIT Manipur said in a statement.
The programme aimed to promote awareness on sustainable food systems, traditional crop diversity, and kitchen gardening as practical approaches toward food security and climate resilience, it said.
In the inaugural address GMS Pfutseromi, Headmaster Kewekhro Mero highlighted the importance of nurturing responsible food habits among young learners and promoting the use of locally grown produce.
It was followed by a presentation on World Food Day 2025 by Kewekhateu, who elaborated on this global theme and stressed the importance of collective action to ensure food security for all.
A session on ‘Local Crops and Healthy Eating’ was conducted by Kekhronyile Therie, who encouraged students to appreciate and include indigenous food varieties in their daily diets for better nutrition and long-term sustainability.
It also featured a talk on “Kitchen Gardening as a Small Business Idea,” in which Wepeto Kapfo encouraged students to view gardening not only as a way to achieve household nutrition but also as a viable source of income and a means to strengthen community resilience.
To foster creativity and awareness, a Drawing Competition was led by Thejalhou Mero, while a Hands-on Gardening Session was facilitated by Neitsou Mero. The event concluded with a “Pledge for Healthy Eating,” written and recited by the students themselves.
Speaking about the programme, Dr Adani Azhoni, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, NIT Manipur, stated that the initiative is part of the institute’s ongoing outreach to promote agrobiodiversity conservation for climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the Himalayan region.
He also acknowledged the valuable contributions of co-principal investigators Dr Chubbamenla Jamir of Native Foodscape and Dr Mala Narang, both based in Delhi, for their continued collaboration and guidance under the project, the statement added.
