By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 16 Oct: The “Vasundhara” event organised by Navdanya took place at the Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Ramgarh, here. The theme of the programme was “Sowing the Seeds for the Future of Earth and Humanity”. Dr Vandana Shiva, the Director of Navdanya and a globally renowned environmental scientist, inaugurated the event by lighting a lamp. Also present were Dr Andre Leu from Australia, Dr Nadia El-Hage Scialabba from Italy, agricultural communicator and ‘Love Ecology’ editor Dinesh Chandra Semwal, along with Dr Mira Shiva and Maya Gobardhan from Navdanya.
During the event, Dr Shiva emphasised, “Behind every agricultural and health crisis lies industrial farming. Global corporations, operating through a toxic cartel, have spread across the world, damaging soil, biodiversity, agricultural traditions, and human health. The result is degraded farmland, the destruction of biodiversity, nutritional deficiencies, health crises, and worsening climate change.” She stressed that the only solution to these challenges is “caring for the Earth”. Such efforts will improve agroecology, enriching our land, crops, and food with better nutrition.
Dr Shiva further stated, “Humans are an inseparable part of the Earth. Growing and consuming food is an ecological process that involves every living being, keeping the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ alive.” She emphasised that organic farming based on ecological balance promotes indigenous seeds and regenerative agriculture, safeguarding the Earth and its health.
Dr Andre Leu shared his views on the importance of “Returning to Roots and the Future of Seeds”, explaining that healthy soil and vibrant seeds are essential for sustaining life on Earth. He emphasised that since food is critical for survival, it is vital to conserve and promote it.
Dr Nadia El-Hage presented a manifesto on “Sowing Seeds for the Future of Earth and Humanity”. She applauded the efforts of Dr Vandana Shiva and Dr Andre Leu and acknowledged the farmers’ community for their work in preserving seeds, soil, and biodiversity.
In continuation, Dr Sultan Ismail from Chennai and Pandurang Hegde from Karnataka shed light on the four-decade-long history of biodiversity conservation and the modern organic movement in India.
Dr G Gangadharan and Dr Suresh Kumar from Kerala, along with Lalita Ganguli and Maya Gobardhan from Maharashtra, and Dr Mira Shiva, discussed the topics, “The Health of the Earth, Our Health” and “Organic Farming is Our Future.”
On this occasion, several books were launched, including ‘First the Seed’, ‘Seed Freedom’, ‘Biotechnology, Biosafety, and Patents’, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, ‘Seeds of Suicide to Seeds of Hope’, and ‘Mahakavi Vidyapati Pandit Shiv Nandan Thakur’. Dr. Vandana Shiva provided a brief introduction to these publications.
During the launch, several distinguished guests were present on stage, including AV Singh from Canada, Mercedes Lopez from Mexico, Indu Netam from Chhattisgarh, Hema Das from Guwahati, S Rao from Bengaluru, Uma Shankari Naren from Tamil Nadu, and Dr Narsimha Reddy Donthi from Telangana.
National and international representatives engaged in conversations with organic farmers during the exhibition of handicrafts and food products.
On this occasion, farmer groups from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal presented songs in their regional languages. A total of 250 participants attended the event.
