Guwahati: A panel discussion on indigenous food systems and Assam’s culinary heritage will be held at Cotton University on January 26, coinciding with Republic Day.
Titled “Indigenous Food Systems of Assam – Reclaiming, Reviving, and Reimagining: Assam’s Food Heritage for a Sustainable Future”, the event will take place from 10.30 a.m. onwards at the MCB Building (Room 311) of Cotton University.
The discussion is organised jointly by the Centre for Environment and Climate Action Foundation (CECAF), Guwahati; the School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University; Cotton University’s Centre for Clouds and Climate Change Research (C4R); and the Azim Premji Foundation.
According to the organisers, the programme aims to examine the role of indigenous food systems in addressing contemporary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and lifestyle-related health issues. The discussion will explore how traditional food knowledge and practices from Assam and the wider Northeast can contribute to sustainable nutrition, environmental conservation and cultural continuity.
The panel will include industry representatives including Ajit Sarmah Baruah of Bhogali Jalpan and chef Atul Lahkar, alongside academics and researchers such as Sivasish Biswas, Rahul Mahanta and historian Uttam Bathari. Cultural perspectives will be highlighted by Bidyut Bikash Senapati, while climate and sustainability aspects will be addressed by Santonu Goswami, Arvind Lakshmisha of Azim Premji University, and Kamal Kumar Tanti of CECAF.
The session will be moderated by food researcher Dixita Deka.
The organisers said the event is intended for students, policymakers, researchers and food enthusiasts interested in understanding how indigenous knowledge systems can inform sustainable food futures. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Centre for Environment and Climate Action Foundation.