Food is indispensable to our lives, but the labour that is involved in bringing it to our plates is often undervalued, and largely invisible. Due to how food systems are organised, our understanding of where this work really occurs, and the precarious conditions it takes place in, are often obscured in public imagination.
We sought to address some of these issues with Local Food Club members through our first quarterly theme Supporting your Food Producers; but for the second quarter, we want to understand this intersection in more nuanced ways. For example, what does food labour actually involve? How is it valued within present systems? And what does that reveal about wider social relations, processes, and structures?
In India, this obfuscation can be seen everywhere. Demands for formal recognition of domestic labour are met with indifference in the country’s highest courts; labour datasets fail to account for the multifaceted realities of gig workers; migrant women running Delhi’s informal economy are not seen as workers even by themselves—the list is endless.
We sought to address some of these issues with members of the Local Food Club (LFC) during the second quarter of 2026 with the theme ‘The Labour Behind Food’. We asked, what does food labour actually involve?
It has been pure joy to see LFC go beyond potlucks and food-centric discussions to more nuanced and critical conversations and engagements.
From time spent on screens during BTPs to making colourful zines during market walks and meetups, we are in awe of how much a community can consistently care, show up, and spread its net far and wide.
This quarter, LFC communities revealed how a simple meetup can inspire and kindle a curiosity for local food systems—one that prioritises local foods along with workers’ and producers’ rights. They have inspired a way of consuming intentionally, and living with all our senses to recognise the impact individual actions have on those around us.
Our quarterly theme was spread across three months—we started by exploring forms of labour closest to daily life, then gradually moved to broader contexts.
June: Labour beyond Urban Consumption
We understood how food production occurs at the source, including farmlands, fisheries, and foraging spaces.
May: Labour across Cities and Towns
We explored how food is made accessible and available across urban and semi-urban spaces: including markets, transportation, and delivery.
April: Labour Closest to Everyday Life
We engaged with systems and relations closest to us: homes, kitchens, the eating spaces we frequent.
These were the questions we explored, and the narratives we attempted to foreground—through a curation of The Locavore’s stories on Food and Labour.
22-year-old Ratish pushes vallams (fishing boats) back into the sea, and moors them ashore. He is an important intermediary, yet oft-overlooked in the relay between ocean and land.
Outdoor labourers are at extreme risk from rising temperatures. Learn more about the toll it takes on agricultural workers, especially women; and how they avoid some of its worst impacts.
Demand from industries like the fishmeal fish oil (FMFO) sector is making Karal Meen, one of the most affordable species of fish along the east coast of India, more expensive for locals.
Archivist Farah Yameen has spent countless hours in Delhi’s mandis. In one such visit, she examines her own shifting identities in the field, and how we cultivate relationships that are meaningful, if not equal.
Discover more stories on food and labour in our reading list.
Beyond the Plate
To delve deeper into each month’s sub-theme, we organised three different Beyond the Plate (BTP) sessions—one-hour long, online panel discussions.
In April, the online discussion was centred on The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), a film heralded for laying bare the patriarchal structures prevalent in an oppressor-caste home in Kerala. The discussion went beyond a meal’s appearance and taste to the intense sounds, smells, and textures inside a kitchen.
In May, we brought together three speakers—all closely working, organising, and advocating for the rights of gig workers—to highlight ground realities of this economy and discuss the demands of the many workers employed under this system.
What are the everyday realities behind headlines about climate-induced floods and droughts? What does the climate crisis actually mean for the people growing our food?
In June, to explore these questions, we were joined by Arshiya Bose and Dr. Ruchika Singh, both of whom have been closely working with farmers and sustainable food production.
Reading Circle’s book-club-like conversations among community members on the ‘LFC Reads’ WhatsApp group chat.
LFC’s intention with quarterly themes is to create sustained, active engagement. To our joy, this is what we witnessed during our monthly Reading Circle. In May, we discussed Shreya Bansal’s (The Locavore’s Assistant Projects Editor) eye-opening story that delves into exploitative models of gig work: Stable Income, Drinking Water, Rest: A Delhi-based Gig Worker on Unionising for Basic Labour Rights.
Members across cities spoke of their qualms, shared learnings from the article, and their own experiences of interacting with delivery workers. These blossomed into simple yet significant resolutions surrounding the theme.
City-wide conversations on WhatsApp that engaged with food labour in local contexts.
Our 20-plus WhatsApp city-wise group chats were constantly chirping with new messages that shared everything from regional recipes and reading recommendations to personal anecdotes. In an effort to capture and share these discoveries, we began curating a series, Oh! The Things We’ve Seen, a monthly roundup of select conversations.
LFC Mumbai showed us how we can go beyond offering water when it comes to appreciating doorstep delivery workers’ efforts to bring us convenience. Handing out “packs of Gud Chana in ziplock bags,” Chandrika shared, has been a tradition since her nani’s time. It is energising and cooling—an ideal snack to beat the heat during long shifts outdoors.
Another anecdote took us on a journey through nighttime Shani Market in New Delhi—a space that offers more than just great deals on strawberries and fish. It holds footprints of history, labour, skill, and social and cultural life.
Market visits and neighbourhood walks that explored urban landscapes through the lens of local food cultures.
In June, we focused on the labour furthest away from us, our farmers and producers. Within pockets of our cities, local farmers’ markets connected us to what is fresh, seasonal, regional, and familiar—vastly different from consumption patterns in supermarkets, on quick commerce platforms, and on restaurant menus. To this end, several LFC members ventured out to their local markets and farms, exploring diverse local produce and pantry staples.
LFC Bengaluru went on guided walk through Jayanagar Market, encouraging members to explore seasonal produce through observation. Photos by Arpitha Bhat.
LFC Ahmedabad visited Super Locavore, Punilrajsinh Solanki’s family farm. Due to the delayed monsoon, members gained an insight into farming cycles and farm labour. Punilrajsinh also shared a vivid blogpost on his experience of hosting members: “When the Farm Refused the Itinerary.” Photos by Punilrajsinh Solanki.
1. In Bengaluru, LFC members were given blank zines to document their discoveries and observations on their walk through Jayanagar Market.
2. During June’s meetup, members shared personal reflections and letters of gratitude to the farmers and food producers behind their daily meals—written on repurposed delivery bags, used paper, and other reclaimed materials.
3. Behind every LFC gathering are people quietly making it all happen—our Super Locavores (SLs)! They are our generous stewards who keep it together with care, intention, and several behind-the-scenes efforts.
A glimpse into the SL group chat, which is personal, candid, and fun. (L) The exchanges after the final SL debrief call—at the end of this quarter and their tenure; (R) They also shared LFC updates along with initiatives, inspiration, and appreciation. Screenshots by Priyanka Gohil.
The Locavore’s LFC Project Lead, Priyanka Gohil, shares, “We had the closing call with the outgoing Super Locavores earlier this month. For over an hour, we exchanged stories, followed by a gratitude circle— it was wholesome and inspiring. We shared what we learnt from each other. At the end of their tenure, the SLs shared that their role within LFC hasn’t diminished; it has simply evolved into something even more meaningful. Rather than stepping away, they’re stepping into a position where they can continue supporting the community in new ways: supporting future SLs and helping strengthen the network as it grows.”
We only hope LFC continues to grow into a space of warmth and belongingness for many—as evidenced by the personal stories, illustrations, and testimonials we received from the community this quarter.
We would love to hear from you. Share your feedback, leave a testimonial, and tell us what more we could be doing to make the Local Food Club better! Write to us at connect@localfoodclub.in.