NE NEWS SERVICE
COIMBATORE, JUNE 6
Sustainable farming practices will alone arrest the alarming rate of soil degradation and save this planet for the future generation to survive, said a spiritual leader and environmentalist on Saturday.
“If we love our children, we must leave the water and soil of this earth in a better condition than it is now,” said Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, in his message to farmers and the community on World Environment Day. Sadhguru’s video message was delivered at the start of an online webinar for farmers of Tamil Nadu organized by Isha Agro Movement to mark World Environment Day on Saturday.
Human Beings trying to protect the ‘Environment’ is like the fish trying to protect the ocean. A fish doesn’t protect the ocean- it just becomes a part of it & doesn’t swim against the tide. That’s all we need to do. –Sg #WorldEnvironmentDay @UNEP @UNCCD @IUCN @moefcc
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) June 5, 2021
The damage we cause to the environment is a consequence of how we are within ourselves. If we realize that maintaining our inner climate is in our hands, we will understand that taking action for the environment is also in our hands. #SadhguruQuotes #WorldEnvironmentDay pic.twitter.com/J9cEDFHtr9
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) June 5, 2021
The objective of the session was to inspire farmers across the state to adopt the economically and ecologically beneficial tree-based farming model which Isha Agro Movement has been promoting for more than 15 years in the state.
In his message, Sadhguru emphasized the urgent need to adopt sustainable farming practices to arrest the alarming rate of soil degradation. He said that 85 percent of the life on this planet, including human life depends on approximately 39 inches of topsoil and many scientific studies have warned that it is depleting rapidly. It is estimated that at its current rate of depletion, we can only farm for the next 60 years.
Sadhguru said litter from trees and animal dung are the only sources of soil fertility and increasing tree cover was imperative to restore soil health. To make this possible, more and more farmers will have to switch to tree-based farming, he said.
Two of the earliest and most successful proponents of tree-based farming in Tamil Nadu, Ganesan from Krishnagiri district, and Valluvan from Pollachi spoke extensively about the model, its benefits, economic viability and ecological impact. They also answered a host of questions from interested farmers.
Swami Srimukha, Project Coordinator of Cauvery Calling, spoke about Isha’s rich on-ground experience and knowledge from having worked with thousands of farmers across Tamil Nadu to assist them in adopting the model.
“We have been involved in bringing tree-based farming to Tamil Nadu farmers for 15 years. We take farmers to such farms so they can witness first-hand the economic and environmental benefits of the model,” said Swami.
Swami also spoke about intercropping between trees that increases soil fertility and yield, protects crops from extreme weather, keeps the soil moist and reduces water requirement. “Beyond all this, valuable timber trees become a great economic asset to the farmer,” said Swami.
Ganesan testified to the economic viability of the model. “The demand for wood and wood products is high in our country. There is a bright future for those involved in tree farming.”
Valluvan said he had transformed his farm into a nature farm under the guidance of Isha. “I have been intercropping between coconut trees. The cost of inputs and the need for water has been greatly reduced. Soil fertility is greatly improved. The yield has also increased,” said Valluvan.
Kalaimamani Award winner Anil Srinivasan, HOPE Director Joseph Victor Raj and actor-cum-entrepreneur Shylaja Chetlur participated as special guests in the interactive session that garnered a huge online farmer audience from across Tamil Nadu. The online session was telecast live on Isha Agro Movement’s YouTube channel.
