The forthcoming edition of the Zimbabwe Traditional and Organic Food Forum (ZTOFF)-organised Good Food Festival is set to be bigger and better than the 2018 version of the event.
This was indicated by the ZTOFF in a statement sent to the Business Events in response to questions mailed to the forum about the event. The Good Food Festival is set to run from 12 to 14 September at the Harare Botanical Gardens under the theme: “A celebration of Zimbabwe’s traditional & organic food and seeds.”
The festival organisers are expecting a bigger event and better experiences for visitors and other stakeholders.
For example, it has “more market stalls (from 32 tents in 2018 to 47 tents in 2019) and (a more) careful selection of exhibitors to promote greatest diversity and generate more sales for stallholders.” The festival is set to see more visitors than the 2 000 who turned up last year. The event will include the exhibition of a range of products including traditional grains, legumes and herbs, teas, cosmetics, appropriate technology, and small livestock.
The highlights of the event include dialogue session with key speakers and workshops tailored to farmer-identified priority topics and a trade fair for the farmers to interact with larger buyers invited by the Festival on the first day.
The second day, dubbed the National Seed Fair, will see a seed swap for farmers to exchange farmer-saved seeds with focus on sesame. Discussions and activities designed to bring together small-scale farmers, local seed companies promoting open-pollinated variety (OPV) seeds, research institutions and government departments to examine opportunities to support the strengthening of farmer-managed seed systems.
The third and final day – a public day – is set to be about celebrating the best of Zimbabwe’s food and seed with the general public. It is also about highlighting local dishes and a range of African, European and other cuisines as well as preparing traditional dishes using Zimbabwean ingredients.
This day will also witness the bringing back of the popular Battle of the Chefs in a fully equipped kitchen pavilion for all the cooking demonstrations where celebrity chefs compete in a challenge using only traditional ingredients. The highlight of the day in this regard is the battle pitting De Ankarra Chef who is set to defend his title against Chef Sheu Mhaka.
Visitor crowds are set to be entertained by a number of artists who include Mbeu and the Mhodzi Tribe. Children’s entertainment will include activities such as agriculture and climate, food and culture-related games and prizes.
The ZTOFF seeks to address health challenges caused by poor dietary habits which are a combination of high intake of unhealthy foods, such as super-refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, and a low intake of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and seeds. It strives to promote the consumption of traditional and organic foods.
Now in its seventh edition, the event started in December 2013 as the Traditional and Organic Food Festival and was later renamed to the Good Food Festival.