This session opens up an honest conversation about food labels and claims, moving beyond marketing buzzwords to understand how food is really grown, processed, tested, and sold in India today. Instead of asking consumers to trust—or reject—labels, we ask a more useful question:
How should we read them?
As interest in “better” food grows, so does the language around it.
Labels and certifications increasingly shape how we shop for our food. But many of these terms are loosely defined, inconsistently used, or poorly regulated in the Indian context. At the same time, producers often work within tight ecological, financial, and institutional constraints that make formal certification difficult, even when their practices are responsible and transparent.
This session brings producers directly into the room to unpack what these labels really mean. What do they communicate? Where do they fall short? And how do producers maintain integrity when labels can’t fully capture the reality of their work?
The session also marks the release of The Locavore’s Guide to Understanding Food and Farming Terminology, which breaks down common food-system language through producer realities rather than marketing claims.
When: 20 February 2026, 5:30–6:30 pm
Where: Online (Google Meet)
What to expect: A 45-minute discussion, followed by questions and a conversation
This session is open to both LFC members and non-members.
Fiona Arakal, Co-founder, Ishka Farms
Ishka Farms offers a ground-level view of farming, experimentation, and product-building—where philosophy, ecology, and practice often outpace available labels or certifications.
Aditya Maruvada, Brand Manager, Safe Harvest
Safe Harvest works at the systemic level to build alternative supply chains, testing regimes, and storage systems that ensure integrity beyond a single label.
Neil Khopkar, Moderator and Partnerships Lead, The Locavore
Trained in culinary arts and business, Neil has a wide array of interests ranging from gastronomy, foodways, history and music. Through The Locavore, Neil aims to draw attention to the deep connection between good eating and sustainable eating.
Together, they explore how food travels, and what meanings get assigned to it as it travels from the farm to the system to the consumer?
Sign up to be a part of the conversation.
Beyond the Plate is an initiative by The Locavore where we engage in meaningful conversations, live events, and dining experiences that look at food beyond the sum of its parts. It is our attempt to narrow the divide between what’s on our plate, where it comes from, how it’s produced, and the deeper stories around it.