Sunday, May 24, 2015

Seed Diversity Festival & March against Monsanto on May 23rd, 3pm-8pm

Saturday May 23rd 2015 will witness one of the biggest seed and organic food festivals in Chennai, to showcase the diversity of traditional agriculture, and as part of the international “March against Monsanto” on that day. Seed savers from across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states will display native seeds of paddy, millets, vegetables etc. The event will highlight the importance of farmer's right to save their own seeds, and the damage to farm economics and biodiversity caused by corporate control of agriculture.
March against Monsanto takes place on May 23rd in more than 500 cities around the world, and in Tamil Nadu there will be concurrent events in Tiruvarur, Madurai and also in Pondicherry. The Chennai Traditional seed festival will also take a stand against the corporate giant that seeks to control agriculture and propagate its genetically modified seeds. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) such as “Bt” seeds have caused severe distress to India's farmers due to indebtedness and crop failure.  GM seeds are also harmful to consumer's health and the environment.
Saturday's festival also showcases a range of organic and sustainable products from local initiatives. A traditional food stall with healthy soups, millet dishes and tasty herbal juiceswill be complemented by red (mappilai samba) rice dosa and organic mango mania corner. Tula will feature organic Desi-cotton natural-dyed and handloom garments. Visitors can also watch live visual art on environmental themes, and get terrace garden tips and tools. Interaction with organic farmers will also be an attraction.
The festival will be attended by several well known intellectuals and personalities from the literary, arts and film world such as Gnani Sankaran, Justice Chandru, director Vetrimaaran & Vasanthabalan, actors Gautami, Rohini, Nasser, Charlie, Pasupathy and some others.
The event at Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya, off Venkat Narayanan Road, near Nandanam signal,  from 3 to 8 pm on Saturday, is free and open to the public.

 Organized by: Safe Food Alliance, an alliance of physicians, lawyers, traders, activists, farmers, consumers and academicians, who want to ensure safe and secure food to all; Organic Farmers Market (a collective initiative by a group of organic farming enthusiasts helping to take organic produce to middle class) and ASHA ( Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture)
(Tamil version & english version of the poster below...pl scroll)
Pl participate..Join the fun, enjoy and celebrate our traditional diversity..
in the process also some good tasty organic food, org mangoes, and meet our organic farmers..



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