Foodie In Florence: Navdanya

Navdanya may be one of the most influential groups in the movement toward organic, clean, and fair foods. Their work started in India when there was a mass series of murders among Indian farmers, about 250,000 to date. They took their lives mainly due to debt and is a most tragic story. The debt was created from buying genetically modified seeds from big agribusiness companies like Monsanto that require pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds that only last for one season. Not only is this expensive, but it destroys the land. 

Through a growing seed bank and education on organic farming, Indian farmers are slowing learning how to sustain themselves without depending on chemical uses of agriculture.

Navdanya states their mission as this: 

“Navdanya's Mission is to empower the communities belonging to any religion, cast, sex, groups, landless people, small and marginal farmers, deprived women and children or any other needy person to ensure that they have enough to eat, they live in healthy environment and are able to take action independently and effectively to become self-reliant through sustainable use of natural resources and fairness and justice in all relationships”.

Dr. Vandana Shiva is one of the most inspiring people I have come to learn about in regards to a better food system among others like Michael Pollan and Alice Waters.

For Dr. Shiva, "the defence of nature's rights and people's rights have come together for me in Earth Democracy - the democracy of all life on earth, a living democracy which supports and is supported by living culture and living economies."

Navdanya is an organization that you should remember, and put in your sustainable memory bank. Here in the United States we are also fighting against genetically modified foods. (Almost 95% of our corn in genetically modified- scary, right?) Check out the website to find out more and learn about the fight against GMO's!

Buon Appettito!