Research - Mishti Industry
We are extremely proud to initiate the JLF Mishti Industry Research Program with the help of some esteemed members of our Advisory Board and independent researchers from across the globe. The aim of this program is to create a publicly accessible repository of data, case studies, insights and stories centred around the mishti industry. The nature and scope of this research make it the first of this kind in the world. The findings of this research will be made available in the public domain, in three phases over the next year. Our first publication will be launched during the festival.
Core Research Areas
The Future of Mishti
One of the core ingredients of Mishti is dairy or milk. However, the dairy industry is already known as controversial because of its negative impacts on the environment. Surprisingly, Mishtiwalas are the largest consumer of milk in our State. It is estimated that we consume nearly 65% of the produce in the entire state, which is close to 4 million tonnes of milk annually. As of yet, there has been no academic contribution to this industry to identify the gaps or find alternatives to dairy that would promote sustainable growth.
The Art of Mishti
Karigari. A culinary art form - that's deeply intricate yet majorly disregarded in the modern world. Some of the skills take years to master. But as seen in many cases, a Karigar's child no longer aspires to become a Karigar. We want to start conversations around offering incentives to join the mishti industry, stay, thrive, and be proud of the art form that Bengal has sustained for 400+ years. Mishti is meant to be handcrafted. It takes immense skill and years of training to understand milk, its texture, how it works with different elements , and making different molds for different designs of mishti. Also, handling Sandesh, is an art in itself. This knowledge needs to be preserved and documented.
The Politics of Mishti
One of our other goals is to make the mishti industry more inclusive. The mishti industry is largely male-dominated. We have next to negligible female representation. Capacity building, wage equity, inclusive and hygienic workplaces, and financial and social security are just some of the very basics that we must look into. A multi-pronged approach will automatically enable us to scale lofty heights, and more importantly, be future-ready. In fact, hiring, training and retaining women in a largely male-dominated industry has its own challenges.
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Let's Research Mishti Together
If you would like to contribute to the research team please reach out to us at connect@jugalslitfest.org with the subject line "Research - Jugal's Literature Festival".