Women entrepreneurs from the rural areas of the country will showcase organic products to promote healthy living in India, at an exhibition at Dilli Haat from 13-23 November. The on-the-spot sale of their products will help them earn some money. The Ministry of Women & Child Development will host these women in the national capital and organise a “Women of India” exhibition to help them find a market for their products.
“The exhibition will also help people purchase essential commodities like pulses, lentils and cereals at discounted prices. We hope this will provide relief to people in the capital at a time when there is so much hue and cry over exorbitant prices of pulses (dal),” an organiser of the event said.
Ministry officials said that there is a plan to call such rural women who deal in organic farming and manufacturing of organic products every 15 days and host them in some Indian city with an exhibition of their products to promote their role as entrepreneurs and make people aware of the benefits of using organic products.
The Dilli Haat exhibition will include manufacturers of organic products from Delhi, NCR and all the states. They will display a variety of organic products like cereals, pulses, lentils, millets, staples, spices, oils, honey, tea, skin-care, hair-care, bath-care, beauty-care, aromatherapy products, organic cotton fabrics, linen, solar products, edible seaweeds, organic seeds and bio-products, among others. Rural women working for organic producers such as Navdanya, Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI), Nourish Organics, The Altitude Store, Dew Drops, Organic World, Dubdengreen, Pure & Sure, Narayani Naturals, The Kitchen Factory, Inhere Aajivika Utthan Samiti, and Sonal WhiteCub, will participate in the Delhi event.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Maneka Gandhi, Women and Child Development Minister, explained the importance of promoting rural women and organic products.
“Organic foods have been proven to contain more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than similar foods produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives. Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost, and organic methods of pest control. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure. And who knows the importance of healthy and safe food and cosmetic materials more than women, especially those from a rural background. We have decided to encourage women who are professionally engaged with such endeavour. Being from a rural background, they are unable to find takers for their efforts and concerns. We hope our effort in Delhi and other cities will help these women who will inspire other women,” Gandhi said.
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