Another very full, and thought-provoking day.
The first session began with two ‘witnesses’. It is great to hear these different stories. The first represented ‘Transition towns’ and was a farmer who has chosen to return to traditional farming methods including the use of horse-drawn plough. He has an aim of producing bread with a nil carbon footprint. The second was a young woman who had begun a wholefood shop called ‘Soundbites’. They support alternative models of food. Not only do they support LOAF principles but when the big chains introduce a Fair trade item (which is good), they will source other items from smaller producers.
Then came the most amazing lady, Vandana Shiva with a plenary entitled ‘The Future of Food’. Vandana had been part of ‘The Big Food Debate’ last night, but hearing her in full swing was amazing. What a powerhouse!
Vandana is a scientist by background and been an activist for justice since the 80’s, particularly for her local Indian people. She was particularly affected by an event in 1984 when the Army invaded a temple. Extremist violence followed with 20,000 killed.
Vandana suggested that agriculture had turned into warfare, and then explained her reasoning. She spoke of GMO crops and how scientists actually concluded this was not a good process, it was not science at all. Science actually says that genes are in relationship. Genetic modification is not science. But the big companies promote it as they are making big profits, at the expense of the poor farmers, and their communities. The so-called ‘high yield’ crops are only high yield under perfect conditions, are extremely water demanding and creating a public health crisis through the use of fertilizers and herbicides/pesticides, and limiting the variety of crops grown to rice and wheat. Pesticides were originally created with the purpose of killing people. They still do, and certainly make them sick, and of course, like with antibiotics, ‘super’ bugs and weeds develop.
Vandana spoke of her distress over her people in Punjab, in northern India. There is now a daily train known as the cancer train. Every day it is crowded with people travelling to a cancer hospital. The rates of cancer in this area are extraordinarily high. Here is just one link to a story on the cancer train. This is due to the pesticides used in the so-called Green Revolution in the 60’s and 70’s when farmers were told to switch to the American way of farming with pesticides, herbicides and high-yielding seeds. Check out the following for a report. Apart from the cancer rates, what is very telling is the loss of wildlife, and hence biodiversity, which is so crucial.
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=103569390
The fertilizers are produced in old bomb-making factories. As we know, fertilizers are still used as a component of bombs. It is a fallacy to think that soil fertility comes from commercial fertilizers, as the PR machine says.
The big companies take out patents out on seeds preventing others selling seeds. These seeds are full of chemicals.
Vandana reminded us of Dolly the sheep – claimed to be a miracle at the time and the company who produced her claimed to be God. Dolly is dead and so is the company.
Scientists who do present findings of adverse affects such as brain shrinkage, increased pancreas etc as was found in rats from GMO food, are thrown out. This happened to a UK scientist who was employed by the British government. There are many other such stories.
A US study produced a report titled “Failure to Yield” about the failure of GMO crops and biotech methods. The report and various other comments etc can be read here (amongst other places)
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/science/failure-to-yield.html
One of Vandana’s projects has been to establish seed banks. They have gone to many isolated places to get the best, purest seed possible. They now have 54 seed banks.
Vandana said that we needed to not try to cheat nature – that would never work. Instead if we implement ecological agricultural methods, this will address climate change, unemployment, water use, health issues and poverty.
At the end of this plenary Vandana received a standing ovation.
We then had a final Plenary in the form of another Panel session in which members responded to questions submitted previously, and from the floor. There were several interesting things that came up in this session. One was on population control. It was noted that, at least in some countries, populations were stable until people started losing their land. When that happened, they had more children. As one farmer said “The landlord can buy a tractor, the dispossessed can only have children.” That was eye-opening to me. I often wondered why starving people would choose to bring children into a starving situation. (The same happens in our own society with some unemployed struggling people having more and more babies. Is it just for the welfare payments? Or is it because it’s the only thing they have control over, the only thing that might bring some joy and dignity?)
Some might blame the lack of availability of birth control in some nations (especially Catholic nations), but this offers a different perspective. And it wasn’t said by a Catholic, but a Quaker! (Interestingly he noted that Italy was not actually replacing itself in terms of population. So either they were all being naughty Catholics, or there was some other reason for it.) He also mentioned that some places have barbaric regulation methods. Women will be forced to have and IUD or equivalent inserted which she cannot remove. Others go to the GP with a cold and come out sterilized.
There was much more, but I’ll finish this with a story from one of the Panel, Mary Colwell. Mary used to film wildlife documentaries. Above the Arctic circle there is a species of eider, called the spectacled eider. On a particular small island they filmed 4 females nesting, hatching etc. The females returned to the same nest each year. The year after filming all 4 were found shot in their nest. That hadn’t been killed for food, just, presumably, sport. Mary asked: “Would Jesus, had he been walking on the island and discovered them, have wept?”
Most, if not all of the 400 conference delegates responded in the affirmative.
Vandana concluded that justice and peace are entwined with the integrity of creation.
Again, so much to think about. I hope this taster gives you some food for thought also.
After lunch we were taken back to Derby train station. I then had a 3.5 hr journey with 2 changes to get to Crosby, north of Liverpool. Steve and Jan Matthews, with whom I’d only been in contact with via email, had offered to host me for a couple of nights which is just lovely. They met me at the railway station and we went straight to St Luke’s, Crosby, for the evening service. Some people reading this will be surprised to hear me say this but, it was good to be ‘home’ again with an Anglican liturgy. ( I surprise myself!)
It was a pity that there was a clash, but only that very morning the St Luke’s grounds project had been officially launched or opened by the Bishop of Liverpool Diocese, +James Jones. So they’d all had a very big day too. After the service I had a good chat with Rev Pete Spiers, Vicar of the Parish, who gave me some of the background of the grounds project, and also Eco-congregation.
Steve and Jan then took me to their home, via another couple from the church, and consequently we all had a very late evening/early morning!
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