Food sovereignty (Anna Swaraj) is the right and freedom to grow diverse and nutritious food and the right to have access to save healthy adequate and affordable food. Food sovereignty grows from household, to the community, the regional and the national level.
The biodiverse organic farming that Navdanya promotes strengthens both food sovereignty and food and nutritional security, it increases the farmers freedom and farmers incomes while also increasing food security.
Navdanya has led the national and international movement for biosafety and against the dangers of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in agriculture. Working with citizens movements, grassroot organizations, NGOs and governments, we have made significant contributions to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Biosafety Protocol.
Contrary to the three myths i.e. the myth of feeding the hunger, protecting the planet and food safety, that are being used to make genetic engineering the dominant technology used in the production and processing of food, our research and campaigns have highlighted the deepening crisis of hunger and starvation, debt and farmers suicides caused by high cost but unreliable GM and hybrid seeds. In the field of food and agriculture, we have raised serious concerns about the ecological and health impacts of GMOs.
Since 1991 we have been campaigning against the commercialization of GM crops and foods in India and have highlighted the dangerous effects of these crops and foods on our biodiversity, environment and health. We are seriously involved in enlightening the public at large on its harmful e ffects. Freedom from GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS)
Since 1997, Navdanya is actively monitoring the GM related activities and development in India and conducted field surveys on the performance of Bt. cotton every year during the field trials as well as after its commercialization and proved companies and governments claims deceitful and fallacious. Through The Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), we have also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court in 1999, which is still continuing in June 2005, against US seed giant MONSANTO and Indian authorities for the illegal and unauthorized ways through which GMOs has been introduced in India and field trials of these crops were conducted, violating the environmental laws and bypassing regulatory, and without involving and informing the local authorities and the local public.
RFSTE and other groups concerned have demanded that the Government of India fulfill their obligation towards the Indian farmers, Indian consumers, our environment, our diversity and our very agriculture by imposing a 10 years moratorium immediately on the irreversible release of GMOs in this country. We therefore must act fast. Lets get together and demand for complete ban on GM seeds and foods in India. Reclaiming the Intellectual and BIOLOGICAL COMMONS.
