H.H. Yogrishi Swami Ramdev Inaugurates the Annadana Seed Bank

The Annadana Seed Bank was inaugurated and blessed by H.H. Yogrishi Swami Ramdev at Ishana in Gopathi farms on 6th Dec 2011. The first of its kind in Bangalore, the core objective of Annadana Seed Bank is Annam bahu kurvita which translates to 'Multiply the grain manifold', ensuring an abundance of food.

Swami Ramdev was warmly welcomed and greeted by Annadana's farmer's children who school at Parmanand Education trust run by Anita Narshiman.

Inaugurating the seed bank for traditional heritage seeds Swami Ramdev said “Our seeds are our heritage. Through the conservation of our traditional seeds, we are reclaiming our Swabhiman”. He called upon all farmers in the country to start conserving traditional seeds as a duty to their motherland. The Swami Ramdev appreciated the efforts taken by Annadana seed savers to build a low cost sustainable farm model one that is replicable through out the country. Annadana's Seed Bank being a unique model uses low-cost material for insulation of the walls to ensure controlled conditions of temperature and moisture. What truly appealed to him was that this could be applied to any traditional existing structure by rural farmers and farming communities at village and district levels with minimal investment. The wooden racks with mesh drying trays are so well designed that provides seeds with adequate shade and ventilation. An hot air oven determines and eliminates moisture in seed by drying under precisely prescribed and controlled conditions. This influences the longevity and viability of seeds. Traditional vegetable seeds displayed of diverse varieties of corns, capsicums, brinjals, lettuces, tomatoes and more in just one season of four month vegetable crop cycle intrigued Swamiji. He added 'Sangita will help in replicating this seed bank in all villages throughout our country to preserve our rich heritage'. The Seed Bank has been designed and built under the supervision of Ashok Kamath, a practical and hands-on innovator.

This honour bestowed on Annadana's spirited team of energised farmers was truly gratifying.

Swami Ramdevji was thereafter accompanied on an brisk educational farm trail themed 'From Soil to Seed to Plate'.

Swami Ramdev’s dream an “Entirely healthy India & healthy world.” He is closely involved with creating employment opportunities for rural marginal farmers and ensuring safe food, a mission that Annadana has been striving to facilitate for a decade and will continue in its endevour with much vigor.
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About Annadana

Annadana’s founder trustee Sangita Sharma, a self contained organic farmer said "Through a dynamic agro-ecology knowledge model in practice in a 5 acre certified farm, we engage in intensive field-based research and offer hands-on training to farmers from across the country in integrated farming practises from soil regeneration to seed conservation”. The hard reality that farmers today are losing their age-old knowledge of seed saving techniques is also cause for serious concern. “Annadana's mission is to revive this ancient art and science of seed saving, restore the farmers' right to open pollinated heritage seeds and empower them to be debt-free. This, it regards as central to ensuring India’s national food security”.

Annadana Soil & Seed Savers Network is a Bangalore based registered non-profit that has been working for a decade to safeguard the rich diversity of heritage(traditional) vegetable seeds and restore the livelihood of rural marginal farmers. It produces, conserves, and multiplies over a 100 varieties of open-pollinated vegetable heritage seeds and a few cereals. Over the past eight years, about 25-35,000 organic vegetable seed packets have been distributed free of cost each year to marginal farmers, throughout India.

FUN FARMING AT ISHANA FARMS

Annadana's Innovative low cost farming techniques

Annadana Soil and Seed Savers completes a year of operations in Bangalore on 14th June 2011. An integrated approach in holistic farming using low cost techniques is the mission. Seed saving being the centrifugal aim. In six acres at Ishana Farms, a unique agro ecology model is being translated on to the ground. The mantra followed here is "From soil to seed to plate". Be it from growing millet & cereal crops like ragi, oats, paddy, wheat, corn for farm consumption to around 65 vegetable diversity of organic seeds conserved within 9 months to aid farmers to take charge of their seeds.

Spectacular transformations commenced under the concerted efforts by my senior agronomist John Paul. John is a wonder man with a striking ability to achieve the impossible. One has to just bounce an idea, lo and behold it is implemented with such thought, precision with details and care. Rare quality to find. No wonder John commands enormous respect amongst the varied team he leads which comprises of a young enthusiastic biotechnologist to a team of dedicated hard working farmers.

Surprising isn't it and refreshing that in this day and age, farmers do not wish to give up agriculture! When a farmer is treated with respect and dignity given fair remuneration package and perks like children's education, medical expenses, insurance taken care off, then why would farmers wish to quit. Unfortunately, our government is so seeped in their own power & greed driven agendas that farmer's welfare is the last on their minds. Devinder Sharma for a decade now has been suggesting that farmers be provided with a fixed monthly income but it has gone on deaf years. With the recent spade of events, we have lost a golden opportunity when Baba Ramdev was striving to not just revive agriculture but set this corrupt house of government in order to bring transparency and economic progress for us Indians.

Well, let me not deviate but share some of our low cost innovative techniques:
1. Bio-Digestor - Immunity booster and a bio pesticide.The large tank is Fermentation tank which collects cow dung, cow urine along with weeds like Parthenium, lantana, calatropis and more along with medicinal and insecticide plants like neem, amla, adutoda. This is allowed to ferment for 30 days. After which the concentrate which is a bio pesticide filters into the smaller collection tank. Can be use both as a foliar spray or via Soil application. Cost of digging the pits, concrete rings with concrete base, plastering and four days wages of two farm help - Rs 5,000.
P.S - A large rectangle plastered & constructed tanks(quite expensive) can be seen at Bio centre Hulimavu. The original idea came from Dr Ramakrishnappa, Asst Director Horticulture, Karnataka. We adapted this with innovative design to suit farmers needs.

2. Fertigation is a process which applies organic growth promoters and natural fertilizers through irrigation water directly to the root zone. Immunity boosters such as amrit pani, panchgavyaa, bio pesticide and more mixed with irrigation water is channeled through this recycled plastic storage barrel to the main pipe line. This is a controlled method of applying fertilizer depending on the crop and saves manpower.
Cost - Recycled drum and half day wage

3. Vermi Wash - Recycled plastic barrel with broken bricks, sand, native soil, cow dung, earthworms and hay. This is left for 15 days. Thereafter 5 litres if water is introduced into this vermi compost which washes potent macro and micro nutrients."
Cost - Recycled plastic barrel and cost of one day labour rest inputs are INSITU

A Coke Factor

Ganga, a farmer who uses Coke Cola to clean my toilet commodes

For over two decades, now I have been using Coke to clean my toilets. Cheap toilet cleaner. If you cannot believe it, the image above speaks for itself. When visitors come home, they are rather surprised and aghast as to what a 2 ltr Coke bottle is doing next to my commode. My response "I do not need more harsh toxic chemicals like Harpic to cleanse my commode. Instead a two litre party pack of Coke can do the same job". As for killing the germs, I use Citronella drops (medicinal grass that grows wild around my farm). By the way, Odomos the mosquito repellant is made from Citronella, hopefully natural and not synthetic! You can buy this essential oil - Citronella from any organic retail store" or where essential oils are available. Perhaps you can check Bangalore stores like Mother Earth and organic retail outlets stores like Era Organics, Parisara, Jiavik Krishik( Lalbagh) stocking them.

I recall in the year 2000 in one of my flights to Mumbai, I met an Arab couple who were most disturbed with the ailing condition of their children. They were visiting a leading hospital for treatment. When i saw their children aged 10 & 14, I could understand their plight. Obese, teeth infested and high pitched tantrums. Tearfully the mother confided in me "If i do not give them Coke or Pepsi with fast foods, hell lets loose". Such a sordid state of affairs. And the carbonated drinks industry & fast food/refined processed foods gets away with murder.

At least First Lady Michele Obama dared to bring about a change in schools. To quote NY time "The Obama administration announced a plan to ban candy and sweetened beverages from schools. A campaign against childhood obesity will be led by the first lady, Michelle Obama. And a growing number of public health advocates are pushing for even more aggressive actions, urging that soda be treated like tobacco: with taxes, warning labels and a massive public health marketing campaign, all to discourage consumption". View link - http://nyti.ms/aVTDZB

This article below prompted me to share my journey with Coke. The cartoon Choke is rather apt. As the author rightly states "This isn't an attack on the Coca-Cola or Pepsi corporations. It's a revealing of the truth about all carbonated beverages. This has been widely reported in many authoritative sources".
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Soft drinks: Unsafe beverages
http://www.mindconnection.com/library/health/softdrinks.htm
We would also like to thank Dr. Mercola, at www.mercola.com for helping to get this article out in front of people.

Amazingly, Americans (and people in other countries) actually drink a product that can rightfully be called Osteoporosis In a Can. And, it gets worse from there. Read on.

This poison goes by many brand names, such as Coca Cola and Pepsi. Generically, this poison is on the market in formulations known as soda, pop, and soft drinks. It includes all carbonated beverages--even carbonated plain water. The various substances in sodas compound the problem, especially the typical formulations with their carbonic acid or phosphoric acid.

Reading the rest of this article may be the best use you've ever made of 5 minutes. Yeah, we know Pepsi will never sponsor an ad on this site. But your health is more important to us.

It's tragic that the "beverage" industry shoves this toxic brew at human beings. Let's take a closer look at what it does.
Calcium loss in bones
The carbonation in all soft drinks causes calcium loss in the bones through a three-stage process:

The carbonation irritates the stomach.
The stomach "cures" the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood.
The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.
But, the story doesn't end there. Another problem with most soft drinks is they also contain phosphoric acid (not the same as the carbonation, which is carbon dioxide mixed with the water). This substance also causes a drawdown on the store of calcium.

So, soft drinks soften your bones (actually, they make them weak and brittle) in three ways:

Carbonation reduces the calcium in the bones.
Phosphoric acid reduces the calcium in the bones.
The beverage replaces a calcium-containing alternative, such as milk or water. Milk and water are not excellent calcium sources, but they are sources.
Diabetes in a can

The picture gets worse when you add sugar to the soft drink. The sugar, dissolved in liquid, is quickly carried to the bloodstream, where its presence in overload quantities signals the pancreas to go into overdrive. The pancreas has no way of knowing if this sugar inrush is a single dose or the front-end of a sustained dose. The assumption in the body's chemical controls is the worst-case scenario. To prevent nerve damage from oxidation, the pancreas pumps out as much insulin as it can. Even so, it may not prevent nerve damage.

But, this heroic effort of the pancreas has a hefty downside. The jolt of insulin causes the body to reduce the testosterone in the bloodstream, and to depress further production of it. In both men and women, testosterone is the hormone that controls the depositing of calcium in the bones. You can raise testosterone through weight-bearing exercise, but if you are chemically depressing it via massive sugar intake (it takes very small quantities of sugar to constitute a massive intake, because refined sugar is not something the human body is equipped to handle), then your body won't add calcium to the bones.

Add this to what we discussed above, and you can see that drinking sweetened colas is a suicidal endeavor. And now you know why bone damage formerly apparent only in the very old is now showing up in teenagers.

Cancer in a can

In the spring of 2005, research showed a strong correlation between esophageal cancer and the drinking of carbonated beverages. We aren't providing extensive detail here yet, because the subject is still rolling through the medical community. Basically, it works like this:

You drink soda.
It makes you burp (acid reflux, actually).
The burping carries acid into the esophagus, causing lesions.
The lesions become cancerous.
So, maybe it's not so bad if you sip sodas instead of guzzle them. By the time this issue settles out through double blind studies (rather than statistical analysis only), that is probably what researchers will conclude. It's common sense.

Of course, the soft drink companies have conducted their own flawed studies using flawed methods to obtain the flawed results they want. This way, they can deny that their toxic products also cause esophageal cancer in addition to other diseases their beverages cause. I wonder if these folks have flawed sleep at night, or if they are just psychopathic?

Do a Yahoo or Google search on softdrinks + esophageal cancer, and you'll get several thousand pages of results. Most of the articles say softdrinks "may" cause esophageal cancer. And that's true--in the sense that lying down on a railroad track "may" get you run over by a train or holding a revolver with one bullet in it and pulling the trigger "may" blow your brains out. It's a game of chance. How many chances do you want to take?

Big brother doesn't understand you: the success of a GM food no-one wanted to buy,

Dr Peter Quaife’s illuminating food industry article: Big brother doesn't understand you: the success of a GM food no-one wanted to buy, indicates some of the ways in which a sales promotion was presented as a serious research project. For an indepth exploration of related issues see his PhD thesis. (1)

His account of the introduction of a genetically modified tomato purée for sale in some supermarkets (1996) shows data being manipulated to reflect the agenda of those who collect it, and their interpretation providing a false picture of the views of consumers. He recalls:

The launch was considered by those involved to be a success. Sales were unusually high for a new product, and demand outstripped supply. Clear labelling, information leaflets and the provision of non-genetically modified (GM) alternatives led to it being held up as an example of good practice by both industry and consumer groups. The way seemed clear for a gradual roll-out of more GM products to an eager public.

During a research interview ‘Brian’ explained that his company selected certain stores known to have price sensitive customers with a willingness to accept new technology – often in towns with a student population – and maximised sales during the test launch by selling the product cheaply as the supermarket’s 'own brand'.

‘Andrew’ said the suppliers of the product had been pressured into artificially reducing the price and that the goal of the launch was to gain acceptance for the technology

Information leaflets for customers emphasised the position of those in favour of the technology.

Quaife finds: “the sales data collected reflected not customer wants, but how much a particular group of customers could be persuaded to buy . . . On this basis, each can of conventional purée sold could be argued to represent a consumer who has decided to pay more to avoid the GM variety, whereas those who bought the GM version may be less likely to have made a judgement on the technology at all.”

The relative sales of conventional/modified purées were not discussed.

A Unilever sponsored study undertaken by Lancaster University (2) found:

powerful notions of inevitability and powerlessness influenced purchasing decisions, with the result that GM products could be bought by individuals opposed to the technology. These feelings of inevitability seemed to reflect a felt absence of choice and a sense that, realistically speaking, the technology was unstoppable. Such inevitability appeared to lie behind feelings of passive resignation in the majority of groups. (p53)

Dr Quaife concludes that the launch was promotional, but the sales figures collected were represented as research, leading to an inflated picture of the demand for GM food and points out the complexity of the issues raised by the first GM food to go on sale:

Not only does it represent a technology with the potential to revolutionise food production, impacts are probable on the environment, food security, control of food production (particularly by multinational corporations), world trade, democracy and humanity's relationship with the rest of nature.

An attempt to represent public perceptions of such complex issues purely through the use of sales figures is unlikely to yield useful results.

1. Quaife, P. (1999), Linkages Between Ecocentric Values and Action in Expert Discourse: The Case of Genetically Modified Food in the UK, PhD Thesis (forthcoming), Birmingham: The University of Aston in Birmingham.

Peter Quaife E-mail: ZPQuaife@aol.com
2. Grove-White, R. Macnaghten, P. Mayer, S. and Wynne, B. (1997), Uncertain World: Genetically Modified Organisms, Food and Public Attitudes in Britain, Lancaster: Lancaster

The whole article can be downloaded from http://www.radstats.org.uk/no073/article4.htm

Experience of a life time at Patanjali Yogpeeth

Last month, I had the privilege of being invited to Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Being on stage with the most revered Baba Ramdevji, Acharya Balkrishanji and Babu Murariji, amidst a host of renowned dignitaries was such a honour. To address Babaji's huge following of devotees in Hindi re the assault in our food chain, dietary shifts & revert to traditional diet was an exhilarating experience. The thought of speaking in my broken Hindi had me nervous at first. But safe foods, a subject close to my heart with soil and seeds most sacred to me had me flowing fine.

This was aired live on Astha Channel on 9th April 2011. It may have been repeated several times for the response is staggering and still pouring in. I gave a traditional Intestine toner formula followed world over by our ancestors. A home made recipe made from whey in yogurt to increase the good intestinal flora. Whey heals stomach ailments, keeps muscles young, joints and ligaments elastic.

This recipe is called Beet Kvas, an invaluable lacto fermented tonic. It aids digestion, increases the friendly bacteria in the gut, alkalises the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones.

It is anaerobic fermentation. Cut 2 medium sized beetroots chopped up coarsely , whey( water from the curd) and salt and put all in a clean glass container (1.5-2 litre capacity). Add filtered water to fill the container. Stir well and cover securely( no air). Keep at room temperature for two days so that it ferments and then transfer into the refrigerator. But first remove and keep some of this as inoculant (jaag in hindi) aside for a fresh brew.

Drink daily a cupful, then when you have finished drinking 3/4 of the brew from this jar, add more water and salt to make a second brew ( this will be not as potent as the first) then discard. So from one brew you can drink twice and then discard.

Use the inoculant (jaag) that you first kept aside and start again by adding fresh beetroot pieces +salt. This way you continue increasing the acidophillus( friendly bacteria) in the lining of your stomach

Note - Do not use grated beets in this preparation. grated beets exude too much juice and ferments rapidly that favors production of alochol rather than lactic acid.

Enjoy. This is the most refreshing drink and cooling in summer. Serve to family, friends, children slightly chilled. This way you increase you immunities and keep disease out of homes! This is a must for those who are on antibiotics as its a probiotic. It helps line your intestines against corrosive chemical reactions from antibiotics.

Heath Tip - Omega 3 benefits

Why do we need Omega 3? How do you derive Omega 3 in vegetarian and non-veg diets?
Omega 3 is an EFA (essential fatty acid). Studies suggest Omega 3 enriches our diet is a remedy for constipation, functional disorders of the colon - resulting from the misuse of laxatives and irritable colon, helps stabilize blood glucose levels, promotes bone health, fight tumor formation, enhances cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, cuts the risk of cancer and even helps memory loss.

For vegetarians - Omega 3 is obtained from pumpkin seeds, walnuts & flax seeds also known as linseed( In India, it is commonly known as 'alsi'), When ground flaxseeds taste similar to pine nuts except that its sticky/gooyi on the gums/teeth if eaten directly with water.

Usage - To avoid this, use Flaxseed in morning cereal or my favorite dessert after lunch is a bowl of fresh yogurt, add 2 tsps flaxseed powder with one tsp of cane sugar or jaggary. (For diabetics just flaxseed in yogurt with stevia powder if you wish)
Flax oil is fine if it is good quality and in small amounts. 1/2 tsp of oil per day is all you need. Pour oil over salads, pastas, pizza, tastes delicious.

Storage - Flaxseeds can be ground in small quantities and stored in a air tight glass bottle in refrigerator. If it is flax oil, once opened it goes back in the refrigerator as it goes rancid.

Other snacks high in Omega 3 - You can snack on pumpkin seeds or walnuts on a daily basis.

For non vegetarians- Egg yolks from pastured hens, liver and oily fish & cod liver oil capsules

Caution - High doses of flax seeds can have an adverse effect on the hormonal balance of the body. If you are taking coconut oil and other saturated fats, your body actually needs very little omega-3 because saturated fats ensure that the omega-3s are used very effectively and conserved in the tissues. So you do not need to be adding extra omega-3s to your diet, otherwise it could be harmful and dangerous to overdose on omega-3.

As for omega-6-they are in all foods.
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In response to the questions asked since comments is not uploading

1. Can pumpkin seeds be dried,lightly fried and eaten then????

The best way to eat most nuts like pumpkin, sunflower, melon seeds is to soak them for a min of 12 -18 hrs, dehydrate them in a warm oven, then lightly roast them. In general, nuts contain levels of phytic acid equal to or higher than those of grains. Soaking eliminates some phytates.

High-phytate diets result in mineral deficiencies. In populations where cereal grains provide a major source of calories, rickets and osteoporosis are common


2. Does one have to differentiate between river fish and sea-fish????

Oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines, are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to our diet.

ORGANIC FARMERS AND SEED SELLERS SUE MONSANTO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES

This is brilliant, such refreshing news. Wish the organic plaintiffs strength to strength and victory. We have the power to heal our planet.

In solidarity
Sangita Sharma
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ORGANIC FARMERS AND SEED SELLERS SUE MONSANTO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM
PATENTS ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEED:

Preemptive Action Seeks Ruling
That Would Prohibit Monsanto From Suing Organic Farmers and Seed Growers If Contaminated By Roundup Ready Seed

NEW YORK – March 29, 2011 – On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed
businesses and organic agricultural organizations, the Public Patent
Foundation (PUBPAT) filed suit today(http://www.pubpat.org/assets/files/seed/OSGATA-v-Monsanto-Complaint.pdf) against Monsanto Company to challenge the chemical giant's patents on genetically modified seed. The organic plaintiffs were forced to sue preemptively to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified seed, something Monsanto has done to others in the past.
The case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto,was filed in federal district court in Manhattan and assigned to Judge
Naomi Buchwald. Plaintiffs in the suit represent a broad array of
family farmers, small businesses and organizations from within the
organic agriculture community who are increasingly threatened by
genetically modified seed contamination despite using their best efforts
to avoid it. The plaintiff organizations have over 270,000 members,
including thousands of certified organic family farmers.

“This case asks whether Monsanto has the right to sue organic farmers
for patent infringement if Monsanto's transgenic seed should land on
their property,” said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT's Executive Director and
Lecturer of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. “It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement, but Monsanto has made such
accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers
for patent infringement, so we had to act to protect the interests of
our clients.”

Once released into the environment, genetically modified seed
contaminates and destroys organic seed for the same crop. For example,
soon after Monsanto introduced genetically modified seed for canola,
organic canola became virtually extinct as a result of contamination.
Organic corn, soybeans, cotton, sugar beets and alfalfa now face the
same fate, as Monsanto has released genetically modified seed for each
of those crops, too. Monsanto is developing genetically modified seed
for many other crops, thus putting the future of all food, and indeed
all agriculture, at stake.

In the case, PUBPAT is asking Judge Buchwald to declare that if organic
farmers are ever contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified seed,
they need not fear also being accused of patent infringement. One
reason justifying this result is that Monsanto's patents on genetically
modified seed are invalid because they don't meet the “usefulness”
requirement of patent law, according to PUBPAT's Ravicher, plaintiffs'
lead attorney in the case. Evidence cited by PUBPAT in its opening
filing today proves that genetically modified seed has negative economic
and health effects, while the promised benefits of genetically modified
seed – increased production and decreased herbicide use – are false.

“Some say transgenic seed can coexist with organic seed, but history
tells us that's not possible, and it's actually in Monsanto's financial
interest to eliminate organic seed so that they can have a total
monopoly over our food supply,” said Ravicher. “Monsanto is the same
chemical company that previously brought us Agent Orange, DDT, PCB's and
other toxins, which they said were safe, but we know are not. Now
Monsanto says transgenic seed is safe, but evidence clearly shows it is
not.”

The plaintiffs in the suit represented by PUBPAT are: Organic Seed
Growers and Trade Association; Organic Crop Improvement Association
International, Inc.; OCIA Research and Education Inc.; The Cornucopia
Institute; Demeter Association, Inc.; Navdanya International; Maine
Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; Northeast Organic Farming
Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Inc.; Northeast Organic Farming
Association of Vermont; Rural Vermont; Ohio Ecological Food & Farm
Association; Southeast Iowa Organic Association; Northern Plains
Sustainable Agriculture Society; Mendocino Organic Network; Northeast
Organic Dairy Producers Alliance; Canadian Organic Growers; Family
Farmer Seed Cooperative; Sustainable Living Systems; Global Organic
Alliance; Food Democracy Now!; Family Farm Defenders Inc.;
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund; FEDCO Seeds Inc.; Adaptive Seeds,
LLC; Sow True Seed; Southern Exposure Seed Exchange; Mumm's Sprouting
Seeds; Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co., LLC; Comstock, Ferre & Co., LLC;
Seedkeepers, LLC; Siskiyou Seeds; Countryside Organics; Cuatro Puertas;
Interlake Forage Seeds Ltd.; Alba Ranch; Wild Plum Farm; Gratitude
Gardens; Richard Everett Farm, LLC; Philadelphia Community Farm, Inc;
Genesis Farm; Chispas Farms LLC; Kirschenmann Family Farms Inc.;
Midheaven Farms; Koskan Farms; California Cloverleaf Farms; North
Outback Farm; Taylor Farms, Inc.; Jardin del Alma; Ron Gargasz Organic
Farms; Abundant Acres; T & D Willey Farms; Quinella Ranch; Nature's Way
Farm Ltd.; Levke and Peter Eggers Farm; Frey Vineyards, Ltd.; Bryce
Stephens; Chuck Noble; LaRhea Pepper; Paul Romero; and, Donald Wright
Patterson, Jr.

Many of the plaintiffs made statements upon filing of the suit today.

Jim Gerritsen, a family farmer in Maine who raises organic seed and is
President of lead plaintiff Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association
based in Montrose, Colorado, said, "Today is Independence Day for
America. Today we are seeking protection from the Court and putting
Monsanto on notice. Monsanto's threats and abuse of family farmers
stops here. Monsanto's genetic contamination of organic seed and
organic crops ends now. Americans have the right to choice in the
marketplace - to decide what kind of food they will feed their families
- and we are taking this action on their behalf to protect that right to
choose. Organic farmers have the right to raise our organic crops for
our families and our customers on our farms without the threat of
invasion by Monsanto's genetic contamination and without harassment by a
reckless polluter. Beginning today, America asserts her right to justice
and pure food."

Dr. Carol Goland, Ph.D., Executive Director of plaintiff Ohio Ecological
Food & Farm Association (OEFFA) said, “Consumers indicate,
overwhelmingly, that they prefer foods made without genetically modified
organisms. Organic farms, by regulation, may not use GMOs, while other
farmers forego using them for other reasons. Yet the truth is that we
are rapidly approaching the tipping point when we will be unable to
avoid GMOs in our fields and on our plates. That is the inevitable
consequence of releasing genetically engineered materials into the
environment. To add injury to injury, Monsanto has a history of suing
farmers whose fields have been contaminated by Monsanto's GMOs. On
behalf of farmers who must live under this cloud of uncertainty and
risk, we are compelled to ask the Court to put an end to this
unconscionable business practice.”

Rose Marie Burroughs of plaintiff California Cloverleaf Farms said, “The
devastation caused by GMO contamination is an ecological catastrophe to
our world equal to the fall out of nuclear radiation. Nature, farming
and health are all being affected by GMO contamination. We must protect
our world by protecting our most precious, sacred resource of seed
sovereignty. People must have the right to the resources of the earth
for our sustenance. We must have the freedom to farm that causes no
harm to the environment or to other people. We must protect the
environment, farmers livelihood, public health and people’s right to non
GMO food contamination.”

Ed Maltby, Executive Director of plaintiff Northeast Organic Dairy
Producers Alliance (NODPA) said, “It's outrageous that we find ourselves
in a situation where the financial burden of GE contamination will fall
on family farmers who have not asked for or contributed to the growth of
GE crops. Family farmers will face contamination of their crops by GE
seed which will threaten their ability to sell crops as organically
certified or into the rapidly growing 'Buy Local' market where consumers
have overwhelmingly declared they do not want any GE crops, and then
family farmers may be faced by a lawsuit by Monsanto for patent
infringement. We take this action to protect family farms who once
again have to bear the consequences of irresponsible actions by Monsanto.”

David L. Rogers, Policy Advisor for plaintiff NOFA Vermont said,
“Vermont’s farmers have worked hard to meet consumers’ growing demand
for certified organic and non-GE food. It is of great concern to them
that Monsanto’s continuing and irresponsible marketing of GE crops that
contaminate non-GE plantings will increasingly place their local and
regional markets at risk and threaten their livelihoods.”

Dewane Morgan of plaintiff Midheaven Farms in Park Rapids, Minnesota,
said, "For organic certification, farmers are required to have a buffer
zone around their perimeter fields. Crops harvested from this buffer
zone are not eligible for certification due to potential drift from
herbicide and fungicide drift. Buffer zones are useless against pollen
drift. Organic, biodynamic, and conventional farmers who grow
identity-preserved soybeans, wheat and open-pollinated corn often save
seed for replanting the next year. It is illogical that these farmers
are liable for cross-pollination contamination."

Jill Davies, Director of plaintiff Sustainable Living Systems in Victor,
Montana, said, “The building blocks of life are sacred and should be in
the public domain. If scientists want to study and manipulate them for
some supposed common good, fine. Then we must remove the profit motive.
The private profit motive corrupts pure science and increasingly
precludes democratic participation.”

David Murphy, founder and Executive Director of plaintiff Food Democracy
Now! said, “None of Monsanto’s original promises regarding genetically
modified seeds have come true after 15 years of wide adoption by
commodity farmers. Rather than increased yields or less chemical usage,
farmers are facing more crop diseases, an onslaught of
herbicide-resistant superweeds, and increased costs from additional
herbicide application. Even more appalling is the fact that Monsanto’s
patented genes can blow onto another farmer’s fields and that farmer not
only loses significant revenue in the market but is frequently exposed
to legal action against them by Monsanto’s team of belligerent lawyers.
Crop biotechnology has been a miserable failure economically and
biologically and now threatens to undermine the basic freedoms that
farmers and consumers have enjoyed in our constitutional democracy.”

Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst for plaintiff The Cornucopia
Institute said, “Family-scale farmers desperately need the judiciary
branch of our government to balance the power Monsanto is able to wield
in the marketplace and in the courts. Monsanto, and the biotechnology
industry, have made great investments in our executive and legislative
branches through campaign contributions and powerful lobbyists in
Washington. We need to court system to offset this power and protect
individual farmers from corporate tyranny. Farmers have saved seeds
since the beginning of agriculture by our species. It is outrageous
that one corporate entity, through the trespass of what they refer to as
their 'technology,' can intimidate and run roughshod over family farmers
in this country. It should be the responsibility of Monsanto, and
farmers licensing their technology, to ensure that genetically
engineered DNA does not trespass onto neighboring farmland. It is
outrageous, that through no fault of their own, farmers are being
intimidated into not saving seed for fear that they will be doggedly
pursued through the court system and potentially bankrupted.”

ABOUT PUBPAT

The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) is a not-for-profit legal services
organization affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
PUBPAT protects freedom in the patent system by representing the public
interest against undeserved patents and unsound patent policy. More
information about PUBPAT is available from www.pubpat.org.

CONTACT

Daniel B. Ravicher
Executive Director
PUBLIC PATENT FOUNDATION
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
+1-212-545-5337
press@pubpat.org

How to avoid Pesticides? Part 2

Courtesy image - http://bit.ly/dTKNeV

The Poisons in your Produce is causing so much of damage to your health, wealth and peace of mind. The hospitals and clinics are loaded with distraught anxious patients. Why?

Our soils are deficient in micro-nutrients such as the vital trace minerals like zinc, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, boron, selenium and chromium which control the vital aspects of plant growth. Proper genetic expression cannot happen if there is a deficiency or toxicity of a mineral.

The corrosive intensive agriculture mal-practices are reasons for this deficiency. The vegetables and fruits hence produced are devoid of the micro-nutrients that are mentioned above.

So what you are currently consuming and allowing yourself to be consumed is by toxic shallow foods, devoid of any nutrients. The human body is so designed that should any one of these vital trace minerals be missing from your diet, disease is bound to occur. Hope this explains, why we need to raise our voices in unison against the pesticide lobby and policy makers and demand our fundamental right to safe food.

Yes, not every body can afford to buy organic nor become a gardener. But as I mentioned previously, do not separate medical costs from food costs. These two are closely linked.

Do what you can to safeguard your diets. Hope these hints are useful to help reduce your pesticide consumption.

• If you can follow the wise adage " Eat seasonal only" and keep a check on your taste buds, you are less likely to fall ill. Use the locally-grown fruits and vegetables only. What served our ancestors holds good for us. For instance, you eat cauliflower in summer, when the season grown is in winter, then you are asking for trouble.
• Wash your vegetables and fruits like you wash your hands. Pesticides do not come off in water as they are highly insoluble and stick to fatty tissues and resist metabolism. If they did, farmers would have to apply them after each rain or heavy dew.
• Wash fruits & vegetables in khadi soap solution. Recall the good old khadi soap bar 555? Dissolve this bar in warm water. And keep the soap solution in a bottle, Use when needed. You may use detergent which is chemical based, but the safer option is use khadi soap. Soak and rinse vegetables/fruits in this soap solution prior to cooking or eating.
• Alternatively soak them in vinegar over night and then rinse with soap solution.
• Lethal doses of pesticides are in grapes, where testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. View this link - http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods#ixzz1ABBvWXVW
• Avoid grapes if you can. I have done so for the past 10 years as I do not require pesticides in my gut nor visits to hospitals! Fortunately, when farmers grow organic grapes, I get to indulge in them and it is worth the price of safety.
• An option for grape lovers. Take a big bunch of red or green grapes. You will notice they are laced in a white powder. Place them in a large bowl or pan of water with khadi soap solution. Swish the grapes around for a minute. Carefully watch the water. You will see evidence that this soap solution works. Seeing is believing.
• It is necessary to rinse soap-washed fruits before eating, It is hardly a burden. Rinse until the water is clear.
• When you handle the soap based or detergent washed fruit, you will also notice that it feels different, too. We are so used to fruit with chemical laden coatings on it that when we touch cleansed fruit, it's a new tactile experience. Go ahead, try it.
• Please note - newly detergent-washed fruit does not keep very well. The former petrochemical coating may serve as a moisture barrier and even an oxidation barrier. So wash only before you eat.
• Vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes are reeking with massive amount of pesticides and fungicides. If you must eat a cauliflower then pick one which has the most amount of worms, if the worms can survive, so can you!
• Another cheapskate hint: save those fungicide laden potatoes that are "no good" and have turned green with sprouted "eyes." Don't throw them away; plant them. The "eyes" are indeed sprouts, each of which will grow into an entire potato plant bearing several or even many more spuds. Cut the potato and plant each piece with an eye on it. No pesticides required in your pot and you can relish your potatoes too.

Fruit alert
Whether you shop be it from a cart or a super market shelf for fruits like mangoes, papayas, bananas, lime that have been chemically ripened. Notice the erratic hives of green spots with uneven tinges of green, yellow, orange. When you cut them to eat, you wonder why there is little taste and no flavour.
Be an observer and stay alert whilst purchasing something that has helped me;
• To identify a natural ripened fruit, watch out for an even gradation of warm colours. From a natural green, the fruit turns a natural smooth hue of yellow then orange. These fruits tastes smells yum and most sweet.
• Many fruits and vegetables are not merely sprayed but are waxed as well. So-called "food grade" waxes improve shelf life, appearance, and coat over and lock in any previously applied pesticides. This poses a problem, for waxes do not readily dissolve in detergent solution. Frequently waxed fruits include apples, pears, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, and even tomatoes are generally waxed. The lack of a high gloss is not proof positive that a fruit is unwaxed: many waxes, like many types of floor polyurethane or spray varnish, are not at all shiny. One way to tell if a fruit or vegetable is waxed is to run your fingernail over it and see if you can scrape anything off.
• The other alternative is to simply peel them. Do not eat apples or pears without peeling the skin. The nutrition that once was, is now laden with chemicals. So force feeding children to eat the skin of an apple is not advisable.

Only from healthy soils will healthy plants grow.
Wake up. Take charge. We are what we eat.

Pesticide laden food has become a way of life

Part 1

Pesticide residues in our food chain has drastically increased with not a lurking conscience pinching the power driven policy makers neither the bereft farmers. It has become a way of life. Consumers opt to become complacent victims of the two.

Karburgi Kampu, the third Bharat Vikas Sangam event concluded at Gulbarga in Karnataka on 1st January 2011. Each day witnessed over 70 - 80,000 farmers. I had the opportunity to address some of these farmers. In my interactions, they made no bones about the indiscriminate dosage of pesticides they sprayed on vegetables. Aowschadi ( medicine ) was required because their soils were pest infested and infected. As for their own consumption, a pesticide free patch was reserved to grow their vegetables fully aware of the dire consequences of these lethal pesticides. Safe solutions is what they otherwise wished for but both the policies and pesticide companies offered them deals with only debt ridden promises.

“In the last two decades, the farmer has been taught and almost forced to use chemicals increasingly. The farmer is getting bankrupt; his costs are increasing and every year the yield from his poisoned soil decreases. The consumers are worried about the levels of toxicity in the food. Chemical farming has destroyed the soil, the water table, the environment and the livelihood of thousands of villagers. The only ones that are benefiting are the companies that have been promoting chemical farming incessantly(1)

Often I am asked this question “What chemicals and pesticides are used to artificially ripen fruits and vegetables? How can we detect them and what can we do? The later question i tackle in my next article. So watch it for it.

Many techniques are employed to ripen mature fruits, the most commonly used agent is calcium carbide. It has carcinogenic properties and is used in gas welding for steel goods. This method is being used in most of the climacteric fruits (fruits which are picked when mature, and ripened only after they are picked) like mangoes, papayas, apricots and bananas. No wonder, health freaks who go on a fruit diet to keep fit, often end up with mouth ulcers, gastric irritation or even food poisoning. So much for a fruit diet".(2)

"Calcium carbide popularly known as masala is used extensively in mangoes, bananas and papayas, and sometimes in apples and plums. Industrial-grade calcium carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorus, and, thus, use of this chemical for this purpose is illegal in most countries. Calcium carbide, once dissolved in water, produces acetylene, which acts as an artificial ripening agent. Acetylene is believed to affect the nervous system by reducing oxygen supply to brain." (3)

Another chemical named EP-50 is also used to speed up the ripening process. Almost all raw fruits are chemically treated. Banana which is supposed to be the main source of calcium has become the source of serious health problems. Bananas are being mixed with Ethepon, a chemical that can harm vital organs of the body.

Unfortunately, not even a guava is being spared from pesticides. “Poisoned guava fruit of pesticide overuse kills girl in Bathinda” (4). As per an RTI enquiry, hospital record in Bathinda shows that 61 people died by inhaling chemicals while spraying pesticides between 2004 and 2008. The pesticides have also entered the food chain. Studies have detected pesticides --heptachlor and ethion, both carcinogens -in farmers' blood here. The lethal chemicals have also made it to the fodder, vegetables, bovine and human milk(5).

A Sordid Truth

"A Chemical Epidemic" an article in Telhelka reveals "Endosulfan is a deadly insecticide banned in over 68 countries. SO WHY does India take such an entrenched position every time? The answer may lie in the fact that it is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of endosulfan, ranked amongst the top five most commonly used agricultural insecticide in the world. Its current global use, as per industry estimates, is about 35 million litres. In the past five years, India has exported endosulfan to over 70 countries, with more than $150 million worth of exports between 2007 and 2008.

Did you know "Tamil Nadu distributes endosulfan for free after a deal with Cadbury?"

Domestically too, the government is playing an active role in increasing the use of this insecticide. Tamil Nadu has been aggressively promoting endosulfan after the state agriculture department inked an MOU with Cadbury India Limited in 2007 for enhancing cocoa (a cash crop) cultivation in the state. “For 1,000 saplings of cocoa, 4 litres of endosulfan is given free to the farmers. I got 16 litres of endosulfan free with 4,000 cocoa saplings from the State government as part of the scheme,” said a cocoa farmer from Erode district of Tamil Nadu. “These are all dubious means to promote and increase the dependence of farmers on deadly insecticides like endosulfan. Once the farmer gets used to it, it is difficult for him to get out of the vicious pesticide cycle,” says Sridhar of Thanal, member of the Endosulfan Relief Cell in Kerala". (6)

And more, the most unassuming vegetables like Bottle gourd is often injected with a chemical like oxytocin for faster growth that can cause abnormal growth and other complications in human beings. Oxytocin can lead to damage of the brain. Suppliers and hawkers apply synthetic green colours on vegetables like beans and bitter gourd and fruits which contain heavy metals like mercury maintain their "freshness' and maximise profits. Hormones are used for faster growth of pumpkin, watermelon, brinjal, gourd, cucumber. Cheap chemical colours are being used to give the apples the extra sheen. Such chemical induced vegetable and fruits can prove disastrous for the digestive system, eyes and liver. It can result in vomiting and diarrhea in children and kidney failure.

The unfortunate part is even agriculture scientists have convinced themselves that crops, fruits cannot grow without pesticides. A report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shows that pesticide residues in grapes, wheat and rice is much higher in Karnataka than levels allowed by the health & family welfare department.(7)

But what are we doing about it? Apart from rushing to hospitals. Why have we reached this stage of despair and so complacent to let the polluters get away with poisoning our food chain? Do you not agree that if doctors and engineers are held responsible for any accidents, so should the scientists and policy makers who advocate such corrosive technologies must be taken to task and pay for it.

As consumers, we put our hands up in the air and moan about the few choices left. We have nothing much to eat is what I get to hear, when I alert consumers. Well, if one does nothing to raise voices against policies and the pesticide lobby, then brace yourself the worst is shortly in the offing. "First, the Biotech industry aggressively promoted chemical farming. Now that we have all woken up to the folly of chemical farming, they have come up with another half-baked, quick-fix in the form of Genetically Engineered Crops. The world now witness an exponential rise in the number of people suffering from unexplained diseases like cancer. Is it far fetched to imagine that there is a link between the two? The world is today seeing various unheard of diseases like the Mad Cow, the Bird Flu and the Swine Flu.”(1). Every second home you peer in into has a diabetic, cancer, heart patient and more.

Overcome this crisis with rationale

Eat healthy! How do you do this with the rising costs of pesticide laden food, gas and everything else? This is a question often asked by people when considering how to safeguard their diets. However, the real question should be “How can you afford not to eat healthy with the high costs of being ill?”

Being an organic farmer, I advocate purchasing chemical-free foods whenever possible, including organically-grown produce. It costs more to buy organic, but, if you can afford it, it is money well spent. There are many things people can do to control food costs while still consuming a health-promoting diet. When budgeting, most people separate medical costs from food costs. However, these two are linked. As one eats more nutritious foods, medical problems and costs can be mitigated or eliminated, thus reducing overall spending. And actually, for the typical family, an increase in food costs is not even necessary for improving the diet.

On the other hand, practise home gardening, a incredibly cheap alternative.What is stopping you from sowing one seed of bottle gourd in a pot in your balcony? Instead of growing aromatic plants, be different, encourage children to grow crops which serves your well being. For starters, you could try leaf lettuce, coriander, amaranth (dant sappu) brinjal, cucumber, green beans and few varieties of tomato plants. You will soon be supplying half to your the neighborhood. And there are many despite staying in apartments with small balconies succeed in growing their diverse food. (8)

As rightly said by Colin Todhunter in his article Rampant use of pesticides. Slow death, fast profits. “If someone was standing in front of you threatening your life or the lives of your children, wouldn’t you take action? There’s no difference between that situation and what the corporations are doing to your food”(9)

So wake up. Ban Pesticides.

Sources:
(1)http://www.blogger.com/postedit.g?blogID=1334801960335581453&postID=5567067974405648410
(2)http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060528/spectrum/main1.htm
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripening
(4)http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HC/2010/12/19/ArticleHtmls/Poisoned-guava-fruit-of-pesticide-overuse-19122010002011.shtml?Mode=1#
(5)http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HC/2011/02/03/ArticleHtmls/Toxic-fields-Pesticide-use-up-03022011002003.shtml?Mode=1
(6) http://www.tehelka.com/story_main45.asp?filename=Cr100710epidemicasp.
(7) Toxic pesticides linger in cereals and fruits - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Toxic-pesticides-linger-in-cereals-and-fruits/articleshow/7141746.cms#ixzz18p9T7gVk
(8)http://www.deccanherald.com/content/106491/slow-death-fast-profits.html
(9)http://geekgardener.in

Posted on 4th February 2011 by Sangita Sharma
http://myrighttosafefood.blogspot.com/

Sowing Seeds of Consciousness

Adopt a Seed, become a God parent to a Seed

India may have only 2.4 per cent of the world's area, but it has over eight per cent of the world's biodiversity, the third mega diversity region. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources has collected 302348 accessions of crops of which 18, 862 are vegetable accessions only. In India there are 51,000 plant species and about 30% has been accessed so far. The rest 70% lies untapped.

Did you know that an estimated diversity of around 4,000 cultivars of bean and 7500 kinds of tomatoes exists? Sadly, we have access to only a few commercially grown vegetables so uniform, laced with pesticides, waxed with chemicals deceptively attractive. The loss of biological diversity, particularly in the "gene rich" countries of the Third World, undermines the very sense of sustainable agriculture, as it destroys choices for the future and robs people of a key resource base for survival.(1)

"Seed" the most unassuming potent gift of life that which is most sacred to me is under siege and assault. I have been consistently alerting and raising alarms about safeguarding traditional organic seeds. SEEDS THE KERNEL OF LIFE ITSELF, THE SOURCE OF OUR FOOD, WHEN CONTAMINATED, HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET. Resulting in a very sick society. Exactly, the state of affairs in our country! Devastating as it may sound but this is the hard core truth.

Seeds cannot be imprisoned by the yoke of legality to be patented by laboratories, to be modified or sterilized by transnationals or for that matter the property of a handful of corporations. Biodiversity is a planetary heritage, which is the fruit of the work of hundreds of generations of rural farmers. This heritage does not belong to anyone in particular: it is a legacy for the future. Seed embodies diversity. Seed embodies the freedom to stay alive. You will agree that “without seed integrity, food integrity is impossible”. And any hybridisation, or genetic manipulation of seeds will destroy our heritage of seed integrity that evolved through centuries...

“Seeds belong to no one it is a gift of life to life itself”. Going back to our Rig Vedas, women stood guard of a standing field, these guardians of the seeds were called Kalamgopis. Woman like the seed is the symbol of fertility. Harmony and balance prevailed in society due to sustainability. Soil is like an expectant mother into which all nourishing nutrients are carefully administered. Seeds are her children to be nurtured with care and devotion.

Unfortunately, the objective of the greed driven seed corporations have eroded this only to make farmers dependent on them. Each year farmers have to purchase sterile seeds along with their corresponding chemical fertilizers and pesticides at obnoxious costs. Mounting farmers’ debts and deaths is primarily the outcome of farmers having to adopt these intensive corrosive methods.

It may sound shocking but after 60 odd years of Independence, the monthly average income of a farmer remains a paltry sum of Rs 2200, far below the poverty line ( Source- NSSO). Yet, he is expected to purchase industry driven manipulated seeds, not replicable and that too at unaffordable costs. A chaprasi (clerk) in a government office is far better off than a farmer. He earns a sizable amount of Rs 10,000 with perks like medical, bonus, leave benefits, thanks to the sixth pay commission to quote Devinder Sharma. But the backbone of our economy - "the farmer who feeds this nation" is not considered worthy of any State benefit but expected to live off credits. No wonder the balance and harmony that once prevailed is at the brink of disaster.

Agriculture is no longer sustainable. With a faulty seed bill craftily designed to fill industry coffers, farmers are left with little choice but to walk away from their fields. Neither food security measures nor the overall health of the nation is of any consequence to policy makers. Who is to suffer apart from the ones producing it, consumers, of course!!!

Just recall... not so long ago, each day was an occasion to celebrate all built around nature. Festivals like shankranti, baisaki and more served aromatic produce healthily grown with home-made nutritional recipes. Tradition and grandeur followed by conforming to our wise ancestral heritage. Which is why chronic diseases were far and few in number! Primarily, because soil and traditional seeds were nurtured with so much care and devotion. Both the soil and seeds once rich in minerals and micro nutrients have fast disappeared, thanks to the dictats of the green revolution. The control of food chain now resting with a handful of seed giants and MNC's.

The result being each day is tagged with a disease like the World Cancer day, World Hypertension day, World Diabetic day, World Heart day, World BP day to name a few. Many more diseases unheard off are being unveiled with gusto by medical experts further encashed by the pharmaceutical industry. Masses of monies are spent on medical research to provide remedies/cures through advertising drugs supposedly to combat pain and suffering. The ground reality is that most drugs provide short term relief which in turn reduces immunities. It suppresses the disease only to accelerate the cause making it chronic because the food you eat is not giving you the required nutrition. By then, you are drugged for life. When the soil and seed is infected, the food is devoid of nutrition, worse still toxic, no worth in gold can then save you.

At gatherings, the medications that provide relief against minor and major ailments is the topic of discussion. Every second house i peer into has a cancer, diabetic patient. To a headache, cold or fever popping medicines like never before is the norm and doctor's verdict the ultimatum ( with no offense to genuine medical experts). Patience is no longer a virtue. It is appalling to witness the ease with which human beings surrender their bodies and make them readily available for trails as experimental guinea pigs. You choose to do this for you no longer have faith in yourself, nor the time to connect with your source, nor exercise any will to control your senses. As long as you sit quiet and pretty tight with no time to question the source of your food, prepare yourself to suffer a new outbreak of diseases.

But not all is lost. If Consumers and farmers are to take charge of their food chain, they have to be re-skilled to become farmer researchers, seed savers and breeders. In order to do so, we introduce an innovative approach for each one of us to become a seed guardian. Adopt a seed. Become a God parent to a seed variety. Now how interesting is this? We can sow seeds of consciousness amidst each other. An enterprising home gardener saves a seed in her balcony or kitchen garden and carries this message in her colony inviting all other friends to join in. Conserve a tomato variety ensuring its varietal purity, then deposit the seeds in central pool created. Thereon you create a network of seed growers from home gardeners to farmers. For instance if there are 20 traditional brinjals in your region each one can conserve a particular variety and make them available to many more…..that way you are responsible in securing food and conserving biodiversity.

Open-pollinated seeds are genetically diverse treasures that have been passed on from generation to generation. When you buy and plant open-pollinated seeds you are helping to protect your health, environment and conserve this valuable resource for the future. Join us in our endeavor.

If you are interested in taking charge of your food. “From Soil to Seed” workshops are conducted regularly. Write to us at - myrighttosafefood@gmail.com


Source
http://www.forum-ue.de/70.0.html?&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=319&cHash=9e885db78f

Posted by Sangita Sharma at 10.50PM, 25th Jan 2011