About the Save Our Rice Campaign
Sustaining Rice, Fighting GMOs, Ensuring Safe Food, Protecting Community Wisdom
Rice or paddy needs no introduction to us, Asians. Rice is food for us and no other plant has had such a deep-rooted influence on our lives. For centuries, if not from time immemorial, we in Asia have been cultivating rice, which is our food. This single crop binds India, China, Bangladesh, Philippines, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam and all other traditional ‘rice-nations’. The Save our Rice Campaign in India owes its origin to the Asia-wide ‘Save our Rice Campaign’ facilitated by the Pesticide Action Network Asia-Pacific (PAN AP).
In South India and in the states of Orissa, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, rice cultivation and rice-based systems have played a significant role in the lives of a very large population, influencing our language, our culture and the rural economy. Any change in the status of rice will affect all sectors of our society, directly and indirectly, as rice has become an inherent part of our life, culture and value systems. Rice is more than agriculture and commerce: rice is life for us!
Of late, rice culture is under serious threat all over Asia. For Asians, rice means everything. Asia, where rice cultivation started, produces and consumes more than 90 % of the rice in the world - two billion Asians get 60-70% of their energy needs from rice.
Taking our case, there is no need to elaborate on what rice means to South and East India. Our culture and our lives are so dearly bound to the crop that we cannot even think of getting separated from it. It is our heritage; it is our identity. Unfortunately, all the possible threats we can imagine, are making rice cultivation unsustainable. Cash crops and other high value crops are penetrating their way into the paddy fields. Big projects are destroying our paddy lands. Pro-contract farming policies of the governments are making it impossible for the farmers to regain control over their lives. The WTO regime, and worst of all, genetically modified seeds, are being pushed into our lives. Problems are diverse and innumerable. They vary from region to region and even district to district. Nevertheless, the question of how to sustain rice farming has emerged as a common concern for our farmers and for all of us. The rice campaign is an attempt to bring in and network everyone interested in sustaining rice cultivation - farmers, consumers, NGOs, students, children, teachers, leaders, policymakers, media, academicians, scientists and in a broader sense, the general public – to explore the chances of sustaining rice and rice culture. Rice and rice culture is not just an agricultural affair. So the whole society, whose culture and identity is linked to the rice systems, should come together, talk, experiment and find ways to save rice from being pushed into oblivion.
Thanal is the main programme secretariat of Save our Rice Campaign and coordinates the campaign in South India, West Bengal and Orissa. It partners with CREATE (Tamil Nadu), Sahaja Samrudha (Karnataka), Living Farms (Orissa) and SEVA (West Bengal).
Through an attempt to coordinate the “ Save Our Rice - Campaign”, we intend to reach out to like-minded people – from farmers to consumers, policy makers to media and scientists to students - in the struggle to save rice systems. We invite you all to be a part of the network and work together for sustaining rice and our future.
What all can we do?
There are many individuals and groups who have been working on sustaining rice for a very long period. But the threat faced by rice in the country cannot be fought back by the efforts in isolation. We need to join together to stop wrong policies and biotechnology from destroying our precious rice heritage.
To come together and act, we request you to,
1. Identify individuals and groups and form regional level networks. Hold local and regional level meetings to discuss, analyse and explore ways for sustaining rice and rice farmers in your region.
2. Build up a campaign addressing various sections of the society, especially consumer groups, farmers and students on the need to sustain rice.
3. Identify and conserve paddy fields, related systems, traditional varieties and cultivation practices, traditional knowledge, and culture. Also document the same.
4. Join the “Save Our Rice - Campaign” and form a part of a regional, state wide, national and international movement to conserve rice.
5. Pressure the local, state and central governments to sustain rice and rice farmers.
6. Write to us about the status, concerns and scope of rice in your area, region and state. Also write to us about your work in related aspects and about your campaign. We can work together to sustain rice.
About the Campaign
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Full Report of the South Indian Rice Forum, Trivandrum, September 21-22, 2009 more.. |
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