Beauty in the Ordinary

This is not about being brilliant, or extraordinary, it's not about wanting to be famous, or making headlines, or trying to impress...this about sharing a 'gift' each day with the world...to lift the spirit of people when they read this blog, to show them the beauty in the ordinary.
"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Raold Dahl

Monday, July 26, 2010

Navdanya


While on the drive up to town yesterday to watch the final round of the Canadian Open, I listened to an intervew with Dr. Vandana Shiva of Navdanya in India on CBCs The Bottom Line.



She spoke of biodiversity farming, the failure of genetically modified crops to increase productivity and the necessity of seed keeping and nourishing the soil.

Over and over again in her interview, she made the point that we, the earth, and everything that grows in and upon it are so much more than the sum of our parts.

Man always seems to fail when we seek to analyze, separate and then meddle with that one part without considering the ramifications of its place in the whole.

Here are a few facts about Navdanya:


Navdanya is a network of seed keepers and organic producers spread across 16 states in India.

Navdanya has helped set up 54 community seed banks across the country, trained over 500,000 farmers in seed sovereignty, food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture over the past two decades, and helped setup the largest direct marketing, fair trade organic network in the country.

Navdanya has also set up a learning center, Bija Vidyapeeth (School of the Seed) on its biodiversity conservation and organic farm in Doon Valley, Uttranchal, north India.

Navdanya is actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defended people's knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation and climate change.

Navdanya is a women centred movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity.





"Industrial agriculture has not produced more food.  It has destroyed diverse sources of food, and it has stolen food from other species to bring larger quantities of specific commodities to the market using huge quantities of fossil fuels and water and toxic chemicals in the process."  Dr. Vandana Shiva

15 comments:

  1. Excellent Post. I am actually very afraid og GMF and I am happy to hear of groups such as this. My philosophy is keep it simple..

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  2. Have you seen Food, Inc. Jackie? One of the main focuses is on Monsanto & their GMO soybeans which account for the VAST (90%+) majority of America's crop. They showed them legally/financially devastating individual farmers who bank their own "pure" seeds. Who has a bankroll to fight a HUGE comglomerate such as this?

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  3. So true Lilly....I guess the best we can do is find out what Monsanto sells, and what other 'names' it sells under, and don't buy it.
    I heard about the Canadian farmer whose fields were impregnated with seeds that had blown out of a moving Monsanto truck...he then lost everything in a law suit filed by Monsanto, because they had patented that seed.
    Who the hell has the right to patent seeds!!!!!

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  4. Chania...I'm fearful of GM foods too. Not enough time has passed to show the consequences of growing food this way and of the long-term health effects of consuming them. And now to find out the purpose of creating them (i.e. to increase productivity) doesn't even work!

    Lili...no, I haven't watched Food Inc. I AM a great follower of Michael Pollen however and have read The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. God bless Pollen, Shiva and their kind for speaking out on this.

    Absolutely V., vote with your dollar...and get the word out, so people have ALL the knowledge, not just one side of the story.

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  5. .....highly recommend watching Food Inc.

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  6. Wonderful post - full of hope for a better future!!!

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  7. Excellent information in this post, and beautifully written! I mean to learn more about Navdanya, and will look for a copy of 'Stolen Harvest'. We women can most definitely make a difference!

    Lynette

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  8. I will check this out further; I am intrigued! I too, am nervous about GM food! Thank you for the informative post~

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  9. Great post on GM foods. I love to write about cardboard tomatoes - who cares how big it is, gets no insects on the plant etc. if it doesn't smell and taste like an old fashioned juicy tomato.

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  10. Great post! Our 21 year old son had us watch food inc. what an eye opener! I am proud to say that he is a young man so concerned that he is getting his major in enviromental science and will be focusing on our food and the dangers of the garbage that is going into it. Thanks for sharing this, I will pass it on to him! Theresa

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  11. Wonderful post.. we just had National Tree Day here and the aim is to plant trees and shrubs indigenous to our local area to increase biodiversity..

    Interestingly.. whilst preparing my post I found that 2010..is actually the Year of Biodiversity!!

    Thanks for all the info.. xx Julie

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  12. Wonderful post Jacqueline and I am thrilled you shared it with us.

    We, who are more "actively" aware must gently guide others to the realization that if we all just pay attention, do our best and speak up, things can and hopefully will change.

    I'll be looking for this book next "errand day". I go and do it all one day a week.I'm down to one tank of gas per month...well except when Darling Daughter is home..haha

    Suzan

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  13. Thanks Susan for creating this arena for change. I applaud you. Knowledge is power, and if we can all just get the word out....well, just think!

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  14. I found this to be most interesting and would love to learn more. I live in a small town in Georgia and love visiting family in this area. There are so many roadside food stands from local farmers and even home gardeners who sell their extra crops. Nothing tastes better than just picked fruit and veggies!

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