Good Food News #4

A Rare Flower, Fresh Fruits and Veggies, and Eco-Friendly Plates

After 158 Years, A Rare Himalayan Flower Returns

In July 1867, British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker collected a small purple-blue bellflower, Cyananthus hookeri, during his expedition to Sikkim. After that, the flower disappeared from India's scientific records entirely. It was still spotted in Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, and China, but not here. For 158 years, it existed in India only in botanical records.

Earlier this month, a team of scientists from the Botanical Survey of India found it again, growing near Mago village in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district. The discovery not only marked the species' first confirmed record in India since 1867, but also its first-ever documented presence in Arunachal Pradesh.

Currently, the researchers have found only a small population, but they have called for long-term monitoring to protect the site.

UK Schools Are Giving Children Free Fruit and Vegetables

Studies have shown that only one in ten children in the UK eats the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables on a typical school day. Many parents say their child refuses fruit and vegetables altogether. A new programme by Tesco is trying to change that.

The Free Fruit and Veg for Schools programme was launched in 2024, and reached over 188,000 children across the UK. The initiative provides schools with the funds to offer free fresh produce to students during the school day. The result? Teachers have reported improved behaviour among participating students, with the scheme providing more than 100 different varieties of fruit and vegetables. The programme is on track to double its efforts, reaching over 1000 schools by September 2026.

Leaf Plates from India are Travelling to Europe

While the world celebrates biodegradable tableware as an innovation in sustainability, the practice was already centuries old in the forests of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Adivasi women have long hand-stitched pattals and donas — plates and bowls made from fallen sal leaves — for temple feasts, weddings, and street food stalls across eastern India.

Now, with the growing demand for plastic alternatives, these plates are making their way to restaurant tables across Europe - in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Being fully biodegradable, decomposing within 28 days, and requiring no chemicals, glue, or processing, they meet European food safety standards. And for the tribes that make these plates, the export demand is creating new income from a traditional skill.