Indian Women Selling Vegetables
On Day 8 of the 21 Days for World Hunger, my final day of participation in this series, I find myself in awe of the efforts being made by organizations and individuals to improve the plight of the millions of people who suffer from hunger each and every day. One person certainly can make a difference in the fight against world hunger. People like Will Allen have dedicated their lives to removing the obstacles to good, nutritious diets that the residents of impoverished urban and rural areas face every day. Empowerment through control over one’s own food source accomplishes more toward lifting people out of poverty than any government handout. Dr. Vandana Shiva, founder of the Navdanya Farmers Network (“Navdanya”) to whom Natasha Burge interviewed on Day two of this series, is another such pioneer. Born in India in 1952, Dr. Vandana Shiva trained as a physicist at the University of Western Ontario (Canada) and later returned to India to conduct research in science, technology and environmental policy at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore. Her Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), which she founded in her hometown of Dehra Dun in 1982, helped to establish her as an internationally known activist and advocate of such issues as traditional farming methods and crop biodiversity. RFSTE strives to protect people’s livelihoods and environments from the effects of monocultural systems of forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Navdanya, one of RFSTE’s programs, grew from the desire for sustainable methods of farming that protect biodiversity, farmers and the planet.
Navdanya’s Mission
Navdanya, a network of seed producers and organic farmers located in 16 states across India, has helped to establish community seed banks across the country and train farmers in seed and food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture (the word “Navdanya” refers to the nine crops that form India’s source of food security). Its biodiversity conservation program focuses on providing support to local farmers, rejuvenating indigenous knowledge and culture and conserving native crops and plants that are being pushed out of existence by monocultural farming practices by offering its seeds through direct marketing. As Natasha pointed out in her article, Navdanya has thus far succeeded in conserving multiple varieties of rice, wheat, kidney beans and millet, as well as several varieties each of vegetables and medicinal plants, through its seed bank and 20-acre organic farm in northern India.
Diverse Women for Diversity
This Navayanda-sponsored program was founded by Dr. Shiva, Dr. Jean Grossholtz and Ms. Beth Burrows of the United States and Dr. Christine von Weizsacker of Germany to give women at the local and grassroots level a voice at the global level in support of biodiversity and food and water security. It is known nationally as The National Alliance of Women’s Food Rights (the “Alliance”) and locally as Women’s Food Sovereignity (Mahila Anna Swaraj). The Women’s Charter on Food Rights, issued by The National Alliance, presents the Alliance’s position on globalization, genetic engineering, food distribution and food prices in a strongly-worded, 14-point demand for protection of women’s and children’s food rights.
Right to Food
On August 2, and 3, 2009, Navdanya co-sponsored the Global Conference on Meeting Nutritional Challenges, out of which grew the People’s Charter of Food and Nutrition Security (the “Charter”). Representatives from farmers groups, women’s and children’s rights groups and other rights-based organizations gathered together to determine the causes of global hunger and malnutrition and develop strategies to secure the right to food for everyone. The Charter sets forth the areas that require the most urgent political and governmental attention, such as secured access to safe drinking water and holistically-grown food for women and children and the preservation of indigenous food production and nutrition methods.
Some Personal Impressions
I consciously altered my eating habits while researching and writing these articles, in solidarity with the millions of people who live with hunger on a daily basis, and was astonished to learn just how quickly my ability to function suffered in between meals. Headaches, shakiness, diminished mental focus and stomach pains quickly developed when I refused to give in to the urge to snack. How, I wonder, do people manage to go on living their lives, day after day, year after year, under these conditions? It’s no surprise that urban children suffer in school when their nutritional needs are regularly not being met. By adding more foods like beans and lentils to my diet (I already include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits), I found that what I did eat provided me with plenty of energy to get through my days. Eliminating meat from my diet was not an issue, since I became vegetarian almost 19 years ago. We don’t need livestock to provide us with the protein we need to maintain healthy bodies. Providing people with the means to cultivate their own grain and crops will properly feed them for a lifetime. Introducing nutritious, fresh and affordable food to the people living in food deserts, whether through farm markets or community gardens or better access to supermarkets, improves their chances for success in school and in life.
21 Days for World Hunger
Day 2 Focus on Hunger: Interview with Vandana Shiva
Day 3 Cambodia: Portrait of Hunger
Day 4 A Mindful Approach to Food Fosters Compassion for the World’s Hungry
Day 5 How Does Mindful Farming Help Solve World Hunger
Day 6 Sustainable Vegan Farming Practices Empower the World’s Hungry
Day 7 Food Deserts and Urban Farm Markets
Day 8 Vandana Shiva and the Navdanya Farmers Network
Day 9 World Hunger: From GMO Chemistry Set to Table?
Day 10 The Generational Consequences of GMOs
Day 11 How to Avoid the GMO Bad Nasties
Day 12 What do GMOs have to do with world hunger?
Day 13 Why do People go Hungry in The Big Apple?
Day 14 Hunger in New York City: Meeting the Victims
Day 15 The Urban Hunger Problem: Causes
Day 16 Becoming a Leader in the Hunger Battle
Day 17 The Psychology of Activism
Day 18 Hunger in Africa: One Small NGO Making a Big Impact
Day 19 One NGO Fighting Against World Hunger
Day 20 Tools and Support for Getting Your Activist Activated
Day 21 Conducive Chronicle World Hunger Writers on Activism
Consider purchasing a World Hunger: Be the Solution Tee. Proceeds from the shirt will go to Navdanya, the Small Planet Institute Fund the International Fund for Africa. All tees are sweat free and available in organic cotton. To see the selection of World Hunger tees at Conducive’s Humanitarian & Human Rights Tee store, click here.
A native of western New York State, Elizabeth holds a political science degree from the State University of New York Empire State College. After over twenty years in the legal profession, Elizabeth decided to turn her extensive writing, editing and proofreading experience into a freelance writing career. During that same twenty years, Elizabeth and her husband opened up their home and their hearts to numerous mischievous cats and three loveable dogs, all rescues. Elizabeth’s love for animals led her to pursue veterinary technology studies and training as an animal Reiki practitioner. Her deep love for the Earth and belief in the interconnectedness of all things informs her desire to write on green living and environmental issues.
Elizabeth’s articles have been published on eHow.com and in Animal Wellness and Veterinary Technician magazines and Animal Reiki Source’s newsletter complication Tails From the Source. She has also written a children's book about the antics of her dog Simon for her granddaughters.
You did it! Thank you the fabulous, concise and informative articles, Elizabeth!
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Thank you, Kenda!
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This is a great article, I admire Vandana Shiva, Navdanya does great work. I love this world hunger series. I just want to point out, though, that not every place in the world is amenable to growing crops. There are some places where the land will only support grazing animals that live entirely sustainably within their land base and provide food and livelihood for the people.
If those people were forced to give up the herding of the animals and transform the land into crops, it would devastate the land, eradicate the topsoil, and require the massive use of chemical fertilizers and imported water. In fact, sometimes these people are forced to do this and it results in devastated natural resources, poverty, and more hunger.
Thank you all for the tremendous effort and work you’ve put into this inspiring series.
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Cody, what you say is a myth.
Animal grazing is the leading cause of loss of topsoil, and animal agriculture at any scale is an inefficient way to use precious water.
Please visit the many internet resource sites on veganic agriculture.
http://www.goveganic.net/
http://www.veganorganic.net/
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Really it is fabulous job for promote veg.& try to fight against food scarcity.It can be implemented in world level,specially i can interested for make it in my state Odisha,India.Any suggetions in this regard will highly appreciable.
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Why don’t you contact Navdanya directly?
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