Chef Sanjeev Kapoor discusses
importance of clean cooking with industry leaders, showcases innovative technologies
Hosted by the Clean
Cooking Alliance, the event also marked the start of a new behavior change
communications campaign in India
Influential leaders and heads of
organizations from across India came together in Mumbai to discuss the
importance of clean cooking solutions and to recognize some of the most
innovative cooking technologies on the market today.
Hosted by the Clean Cooking
Alliance (the “Alliance”), the event at the Taj Lands End Hotel kicked off with
a conversation between Dymphna van der Lans, Alliance CEO; Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef
Extraordinaire and member of the Alliance Chef Corps; Narayana Murthy, Founder
of Infosys; and Prasoon Joshi, CEO and CCO of McCann Worldgroup India. The
speakers shared some of their personal motivations for working with the
Alliance to promote the use of cleaner, more modern stoves and fuels.
“Since cooking has given me so
much, what I can give back is not just quality food, but also my expertise and
reach,” said ChefKapoor. “I used to think that cooking was just about food,
something that could bring joy. But the trouble with it – the fact that it can
kill – was an eye-opener. I didn’t want to sleep quietly with the fact that
something that brings me so much joy can also kill.”
In India, over 789 million people
– nearly 60 percent of the population – depend on polluting, open fires or
inefficient stoves to cook their food. Nearly half a million deaths each year
are linked to exposure to toxic smoke from cooking and heating.
“Research shows that using
traditional stoves reduces the birth weight of a child,” noted Mr. Murthy. “If
we want our children to be strong, to be healthy, to get a good education, we
need to take good care of mothers. And one dimension of that is making sure
they have a modern contraption for cooking.”
“I’m very passionate about energy
services and how they make people’s lives better,” said Mrs. Van der Lans. “My
vision is about the effective use of power. No one’s life should be limited by
how they cook.It’s really important to think about the next phase of technology
and innovation, and I see that opportunity here in India.”
“Where we can contribute is by
telling stories,” said Mr. Joshi, whose company is working with the Alliance
and other partners to implement a new behavior change campaign in Uttar Pradesh
and Gujarat. “If we can inspire by telling stories of people whose lives have
been transformed by clean cooking, then not only policymakers and financial
institutions but people themselves will realize what a big difference clean
cooking can make.”
Mr. Joshi also unveiled the new
Hindi slogan for the campaign, for which the approximate English translation
is, “As the smoke is disappearing, progress is appearing.” This aims to
motivate people across India through the
clean cooking campaign, which is a joint effort by the Alliance, Shell, Tata
Trusts, McCann WorldGroup, Sambodhi, Nexleaf Analytics, DharmaLife, and SEWA.
The discussion was followed by a
cooking demonstration by Chef Kapoor, who prepared a variety of dishes using several
of the clean cooking technologies exhibited. The demonstration included products
by Greenway Appliances, Envirofit, Wonder Chef, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
Ltd., and the Indian Institute of TechnologyBombay, representing technologies
powered by solar energy, electric induction, liquified petroleum gas, charcoal,
and wood.