1. What made you decide to leave a successful corporate career and pursue a life dedicated to seeds?
Decades of corporate life and coveted posts guaranteed me all the comforts of life, but there was still a void. A yearning to find a purpose that would have meaning and create an impact that would better lives other than just mine. If you have ever had that one decisive moment, you know it’s not something you can walk away from. It was that moment that triggered me to action beckoning me back to my roots despite family, friends, colleagues raising concerns.
2. Why seed conservation?
Because all life starts with the seed. And if the seed is not healthy, the food is not healthy and so the cycle continues. Heirloom seeds also carry precious genetic information, and contribute to a more stable culture, seasons and diversity that thrive in various agro climatic zones, have better resilience to pests and diseases and general vigour to cope with changing natural environments. If we were to invest in seed security by setting up community seed banks training farmers in reviving dying skills in seed conservation, educating all about the role agroecology plays in soil fertility, climate change and nutrition, we would be contributing to a sacred economy. To date, we have lost more than 150,000 of the 200,000 varieties of rice as recorded by Professor Richarria, 6000 varieties of cotton and we may now have only 2500 varieties of brinjal left! If the floodgates of genetic engineering were to open, we stand to lose them all. Seed saving forms the heart of a much-needed, local solution to help cope with global challenges. In India, the costs of acquiring hybrid seeds and the associated chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep the resultant crops “healthy” is astronomical for farmers. If we were to train them to conserve seeds, provide sustainable models on the ground, and could prove to them the practical and financial benefits of following these models, more farmers would pursue the path to autonomy.
3. Could you describe some of the milestones and/or turning points in your journey so far?
My biggest turning point was when I made the decision to come back to India and explore my roots in search of a calling. The universe paved a path for me to be amidst seed lovers in Auroville giving birth to Annadana with seed conservation at its core. I was able to donate millions of seeds free of cost to farmers who lost their crops to the Kerala and Kodagu floods of 2017. We are able to help farmers revive their farms by teaching them regenerative agriculture techniques. We got the opportunity to help farmers rebuild farms they had lost to the Tsunami or successive droughts. It was a milestone when I was part of the movement to prevent BT brinjal from becoming a reality in India.
4. What inspires you?
My first and biggest inspiration continues to be my father. His love for nature and fierce need to set up a sustainable existence showed me that we could fulfil all our needs if we worked in harmony with nature. I also draw inspiration from forests. If a forest can sustain itself with no intervention from us, then the same principles could be applied to reversing this agrarian crisis. Healthy agrobiodiversity will result in flourishing food forests, autonomous and a society that is healthier. The earth is like an expectant mother whose womb nurtures her children - the seeds.
5. Apart from your obvious passion for the subject of seed conservation, is there anything else you could say you are truly passionate about?
Food and nutrition. My love for chemical-free, natural food compelled me to understand its source - seeds. Seed is the origin of our food chain and if the seeds themselves are contaminated, our whole food chain gets contaminated. The sheer volume of pesticides and chemicals in our food enraged and alarmed me. So, I decided to take charge of growing my own food on my father’s land in Bangalore. Today, we eat what we grow in our fields and only that which is seasonal. We have a vast diversity of cereals, lentils, vegetables , spices, fruits, and herbs to choose from. We also make our own oils, molasses and dairy products that serve our farm needs while biogas powers our community kitchen I know from experience that healthy food is at the core of healthy immunities, healthy ecosystems and the general wellbeing of our society. As the father of medicine Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine.” We practice this with the utmost care and diligence.
6. What do you do to unwind?
I love reading and make it a point to read before going to bed each night. I also love music, writing and find meditation to be most soothing and relaxing. I am constantly striving to find a balance to reach the wondrous garden of self-realisation. Creativity flows from stilling the mind and allowing it to unfurl.
7. Tell us about your childhood, growing up on the outskirts of Bangalore. Did anything in your childhood point you on your current path?
It was a unique experience, one that made a lasting impression on my young self and possibly set me on the path I am today. My father, lovingly called Major Sharma, bought a farm in Singapura village behind the Indian Air Force base, now in Bangalore city, with a vision to retain the serenity of the region. He was the first to set a precedent when he grew wheat in Bangalore in the early ‘70s. He loved dairy farming and we used to supply milk to BEL, HMT and other layouts in our tonga. My two sisters and I were called the ‘Singapura Girls’ and sent to school in a tonga driven by Bhailji, a 6 foot bhishmpitama with a big pagadi and white beard. If he was not available, tractors were sent to fetch us from school while the other children came by cars or buses. I was not particularly academically inclined, but I thrived outdoors. When I failed to perform well in school, my teachers would punish me by asking me to jog around the school yard 5 times, little realising that what they deemed as punishment was my favourite thing to do! I excelled in sports and won many prizes for high jump, sprinting, among others, both for my school and college. I ate totapuri mangoes, befriended birds and trees alike and spent my time chasing butterflies. In some sense, it was an idyllic childhood. Whilst all my friends had toys to play with, it seemed like the entire world was my playground and all its creatures, my playmates. Growing up, I had a mouse, squirrel, parrot, slender loris, and dogs aplenty for my pets. My father had a great love for nature, which he thankfully passed on to us. Growing up, I saw firsthand how my father set us a sustainable life for us, one where we coexisted peacefully with nature. I saw that when we took care of nature, she took care of us.
8. Tell us more about your father, who played such a significant role in your deciding to work for the upliftment of farmers.
My father was a refugee who came to India from Pakistan in 1948. I remember him telling me that it wasn’t until he was 8 years old that he got his first pair of shoes. I suppose you could say that hardship and hard work were in his blood from the start, and that in many ways, his story mirrors the lives of those who Annadana ultimately sets out to help. By the late 1960s, he opted for early retirement from the Army and managed to save and borrow enough to buy a small parcel of land. At the time, this land was snake-infested and covered in rocks and shrubs. But today, that same stretch of land has been transformed into a green oasis that not only inspires me, but also the hundreds of visitors and interns from around the globe.
9. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself working to change the mindset of people, politicians, states and governments that see farmers as labourers in our country. I want to impress upon this country and especially its youth that our farmers are stakeholders in our country’s success and if India were to truly progress, we need to start investing in our farmers. Agriculture is the most important sector of the Indian economy. It’s crucial that we provide them with the right tools, infrastructure and knowledge to take India forward. I believe that it’s important we do this in a sustainable way, keeping in mind not just GDP but also the ‘sacred economy’ focussing on equitable access to healthy seeds, organic farming principles, fair prices and seasonal production, among others.
10. What, in your opinion, has been the biggest challenge you have faced to date?
When I decided to quit corporate life to take up farming, it was an uphill battle to convince my fellow peers, family, friends, well-wishers that I was going to dedicate myself to seed conservation and invest in educating myself about organic farming practices. There were quite a few people who were amazed that I was voluntarily waiting to board a bus with farmers when they had seen me come and go in the poshest of cars. I invested my life savings for the upliftment for our farmers and their children. It hasn’t always been easy, endlessly striving to help them overcome the social evils of alcohol, violence, depression and sexual abuse. I realised that security is for feeble minds. Nature will take its course and our worrying is not going to change the outcome. It dawned on me that when one works selflessly, no financial or professional challenge can ever be an impediment. We are blessed with a wealth of natural resources that if we only learned to harness properly, we would never want for safe, nutritious food. We need more support, more investment if we are to reach all the farmers across the country and train them in sustainable farming techniques to enable them to become autonomous and break the cycle of debt and malnutrition. GMO crops have been knocking on our doors for a while and Bt cotton has already made its way into India with disastrous effects for farmers in the long term - entire ecosystems destroyed, flora and fauna going extinct, soil fertility degraded.
11. What new challenges do you foresee, taking Annadana into the future?
The key is to work with nature, not against her. She has a mind and will of her own. Industrial agriculture sells chemicals, contaminated seeds that are denatured, chemicalized and patented. Farmers are dying not because they are, in any way, less efficient but because they have been denied their legitimate income all these years. Farmers are migrating from their fields, abandoning their lands, rural youth are making a nuisance of themselves in cities because there is no direction and employment opportunities. Moreover, the agronomists have no understanding of sustainable farming practices or how such practices could transform India’s economy as a whole. Annadana, Western Ghats, was founded in 2016 by Ashok Kamat, Managing Trustee of Annadana, with the aim to overcome the above challenges. A 'Kendra for Experiential Learning in Sustainable Agriculture’ or KELSA, is underway. We are creating a model on the ground for farmers to witness how seed conservation and sustainable farming practices can help them break the cycle of debt and poverty. We hope to revive the Young Indian Academy, an informal vocational training centre set up by Ashok, where he mentors farmers’ children and rural youth to equip them with skill sets.
12. Which is your favourite part of the day and why?
I love my mornings. I’m early to bed and early to rise and bask in nature’s glory. Early mornings when it seems like the rest of the world is still to wake, I exult in the abundance that nature has so generously and selflessly provided us. There is so much we can learn from nature, if only we were so inclined. My dialogue with nature and my crops provide me solace and help me face the day ahead with grace and equanimity.
13. If you were to be granted one wish, what would that be?
I would want to replicate the model food forests we have built in Annadana across the country to ensure equitable access to healthy, nutritious, chemical-free food. The farmers who feed us should not be going hungry themselves and it’s shameful that after more than 70 years of independence, malnutrition is still a scourge in India.
14. Do you feel that Annadana’s success has come at the cost of some personal sacrifices?
While many may consider them to be sacrifices, I look at it is an investment of my time, efforts, experience, learning - all of which have contributed to who I am today. This evolution is priceless. I would not trade my journey for anything. I have approached every setback as an opportunity and this has made me a stronger individual.
15. What, in your opinion, has been the most challenging aspect of building the Annadana community?
Overcoming social evils that has led to catastrophic conditions in farmers’ lives. I have witnessed violence, abuse, alcoholism at close hand. I have spent many years helping them overcome their personal issues. I have never regretted investing my time, money or resources to counsel farmer families, and help them achieve autonomy by instilling in them the skills and confidence to forge forward.
16. What makes you happy?
Knowing that my work is making a difference to the lives of farmers and their families. When I hear of how farmers, their children, interns who have worked with us, are self-sufficient and blazing their own paths around the world, I’m grateful that I made the right choice. I love hearing from the people who’ve been a part of Annadana’s journey and how they are progressing in the world.
17. How would you describe yourself?
I’m a workaholic who thrives on her passion. I was lucky enough to have found my purpose and my undeterred determination to see things through to their rightful culmination has held me in good stead. By being grounded, open and transparent, I believe I attract like-minded souls who extend support at the most opportune moments.
- CONTACT -
Annadana Soil & Seed Savers Network
Contact no - 8277116606
farmrelations@annadana-india.org
http://www.annadana-india.org
https://www.facebook.com/AnnadanaIndia
Decades of corporate life and coveted posts guaranteed me all the comforts of life, but there was still a void. A yearning to find a purpose that would have meaning and create an impact that would better lives other than just mine. If you have ever had that one decisive moment, you know it’s not something you can walk away from. It was that moment that triggered me to action beckoning me back to my roots despite family, friends, colleagues raising concerns.
2. Why seed conservation?
Because all life starts with the seed. And if the seed is not healthy, the food is not healthy and so the cycle continues. Heirloom seeds also carry precious genetic information, and contribute to a more stable culture, seasons and diversity that thrive in various agro climatic zones, have better resilience to pests and diseases and general vigour to cope with changing natural environments. If we were to invest in seed security by setting up community seed banks training farmers in reviving dying skills in seed conservation, educating all about the role agroecology plays in soil fertility, climate change and nutrition, we would be contributing to a sacred economy. To date, we have lost more than 150,000 of the 200,000 varieties of rice as recorded by Professor Richarria, 6000 varieties of cotton and we may now have only 2500 varieties of brinjal left! If the floodgates of genetic engineering were to open, we stand to lose them all. Seed saving forms the heart of a much-needed, local solution to help cope with global challenges. In India, the costs of acquiring hybrid seeds and the associated chemical fertilizers and pesticides to keep the resultant crops “healthy” is astronomical for farmers. If we were to train them to conserve seeds, provide sustainable models on the ground, and could prove to them the practical and financial benefits of following these models, more farmers would pursue the path to autonomy.
3. Could you describe some of the milestones and/or turning points in your journey so far?
My biggest turning point was when I made the decision to come back to India and explore my roots in search of a calling. The universe paved a path for me to be amidst seed lovers in Auroville giving birth to Annadana with seed conservation at its core. I was able to donate millions of seeds free of cost to farmers who lost their crops to the Kerala and Kodagu floods of 2017. We are able to help farmers revive their farms by teaching them regenerative agriculture techniques. We got the opportunity to help farmers rebuild farms they had lost to the Tsunami or successive droughts. It was a milestone when I was part of the movement to prevent BT brinjal from becoming a reality in India.
4. What inspires you?
My first and biggest inspiration continues to be my father. His love for nature and fierce need to set up a sustainable existence showed me that we could fulfil all our needs if we worked in harmony with nature. I also draw inspiration from forests. If a forest can sustain itself with no intervention from us, then the same principles could be applied to reversing this agrarian crisis. Healthy agrobiodiversity will result in flourishing food forests, autonomous and a society that is healthier. The earth is like an expectant mother whose womb nurtures her children - the seeds.
5. Apart from your obvious passion for the subject of seed conservation, is there anything else you could say you are truly passionate about?
Food and nutrition. My love for chemical-free, natural food compelled me to understand its source - seeds. Seed is the origin of our food chain and if the seeds themselves are contaminated, our whole food chain gets contaminated. The sheer volume of pesticides and chemicals in our food enraged and alarmed me. So, I decided to take charge of growing my own food on my father’s land in Bangalore. Today, we eat what we grow in our fields and only that which is seasonal. We have a vast diversity of cereals, lentils, vegetables , spices, fruits, and herbs to choose from. We also make our own oils, molasses and dairy products that serve our farm needs while biogas powers our community kitchen I know from experience that healthy food is at the core of healthy immunities, healthy ecosystems and the general wellbeing of our society. As the father of medicine Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine.” We practice this with the utmost care and diligence.
6. What do you do to unwind?
I love reading and make it a point to read before going to bed each night. I also love music, writing and find meditation to be most soothing and relaxing. I am constantly striving to find a balance to reach the wondrous garden of self-realisation. Creativity flows from stilling the mind and allowing it to unfurl.
7. Tell us about your childhood, growing up on the outskirts of Bangalore. Did anything in your childhood point you on your current path?
It was a unique experience, one that made a lasting impression on my young self and possibly set me on the path I am today. My father, lovingly called Major Sharma, bought a farm in Singapura village behind the Indian Air Force base, now in Bangalore city, with a vision to retain the serenity of the region. He was the first to set a precedent when he grew wheat in Bangalore in the early ‘70s. He loved dairy farming and we used to supply milk to BEL, HMT and other layouts in our tonga. My two sisters and I were called the ‘Singapura Girls’ and sent to school in a tonga driven by Bhailji, a 6 foot bhishmpitama with a big pagadi and white beard. If he was not available, tractors were sent to fetch us from school while the other children came by cars or buses. I was not particularly academically inclined, but I thrived outdoors. When I failed to perform well in school, my teachers would punish me by asking me to jog around the school yard 5 times, little realising that what they deemed as punishment was my favourite thing to do! I excelled in sports and won many prizes for high jump, sprinting, among others, both for my school and college. I ate totapuri mangoes, befriended birds and trees alike and spent my time chasing butterflies. In some sense, it was an idyllic childhood. Whilst all my friends had toys to play with, it seemed like the entire world was my playground and all its creatures, my playmates. Growing up, I had a mouse, squirrel, parrot, slender loris, and dogs aplenty for my pets. My father had a great love for nature, which he thankfully passed on to us. Growing up, I saw firsthand how my father set us a sustainable life for us, one where we coexisted peacefully with nature. I saw that when we took care of nature, she took care of us.
8. Tell us more about your father, who played such a significant role in your deciding to work for the upliftment of farmers.
My father was a refugee who came to India from Pakistan in 1948. I remember him telling me that it wasn’t until he was 8 years old that he got his first pair of shoes. I suppose you could say that hardship and hard work were in his blood from the start, and that in many ways, his story mirrors the lives of those who Annadana ultimately sets out to help. By the late 1960s, he opted for early retirement from the Army and managed to save and borrow enough to buy a small parcel of land. At the time, this land was snake-infested and covered in rocks and shrubs. But today, that same stretch of land has been transformed into a green oasis that not only inspires me, but also the hundreds of visitors and interns from around the globe.
9. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself working to change the mindset of people, politicians, states and governments that see farmers as labourers in our country. I want to impress upon this country and especially its youth that our farmers are stakeholders in our country’s success and if India were to truly progress, we need to start investing in our farmers. Agriculture is the most important sector of the Indian economy. It’s crucial that we provide them with the right tools, infrastructure and knowledge to take India forward. I believe that it’s important we do this in a sustainable way, keeping in mind not just GDP but also the ‘sacred economy’ focussing on equitable access to healthy seeds, organic farming principles, fair prices and seasonal production, among others.
10. What, in your opinion, has been the biggest challenge you have faced to date?
When I decided to quit corporate life to take up farming, it was an uphill battle to convince my fellow peers, family, friends, well-wishers that I was going to dedicate myself to seed conservation and invest in educating myself about organic farming practices. There were quite a few people who were amazed that I was voluntarily waiting to board a bus with farmers when they had seen me come and go in the poshest of cars. I invested my life savings for the upliftment for our farmers and their children. It hasn’t always been easy, endlessly striving to help them overcome the social evils of alcohol, violence, depression and sexual abuse. I realised that security is for feeble minds. Nature will take its course and our worrying is not going to change the outcome. It dawned on me that when one works selflessly, no financial or professional challenge can ever be an impediment. We are blessed with a wealth of natural resources that if we only learned to harness properly, we would never want for safe, nutritious food. We need more support, more investment if we are to reach all the farmers across the country and train them in sustainable farming techniques to enable them to become autonomous and break the cycle of debt and malnutrition. GMO crops have been knocking on our doors for a while and Bt cotton has already made its way into India with disastrous effects for farmers in the long term - entire ecosystems destroyed, flora and fauna going extinct, soil fertility degraded.
11. What new challenges do you foresee, taking Annadana into the future?
The key is to work with nature, not against her. She has a mind and will of her own. Industrial agriculture sells chemicals, contaminated seeds that are denatured, chemicalized and patented. Farmers are dying not because they are, in any way, less efficient but because they have been denied their legitimate income all these years. Farmers are migrating from their fields, abandoning their lands, rural youth are making a nuisance of themselves in cities because there is no direction and employment opportunities. Moreover, the agronomists have no understanding of sustainable farming practices or how such practices could transform India’s economy as a whole. Annadana, Western Ghats, was founded in 2016 by Ashok Kamat, Managing Trustee of Annadana, with the aim to overcome the above challenges. A 'Kendra for Experiential Learning in Sustainable Agriculture’ or KELSA, is underway. We are creating a model on the ground for farmers to witness how seed conservation and sustainable farming practices can help them break the cycle of debt and poverty. We hope to revive the Young Indian Academy, an informal vocational training centre set up by Ashok, where he mentors farmers’ children and rural youth to equip them with skill sets.
12. Which is your favourite part of the day and why?
I love my mornings. I’m early to bed and early to rise and bask in nature’s glory. Early mornings when it seems like the rest of the world is still to wake, I exult in the abundance that nature has so generously and selflessly provided us. There is so much we can learn from nature, if only we were so inclined. My dialogue with nature and my crops provide me solace and help me face the day ahead with grace and equanimity.
13. If you were to be granted one wish, what would that be?
I would want to replicate the model food forests we have built in Annadana across the country to ensure equitable access to healthy, nutritious, chemical-free food. The farmers who feed us should not be going hungry themselves and it’s shameful that after more than 70 years of independence, malnutrition is still a scourge in India.
14. Do you feel that Annadana’s success has come at the cost of some personal sacrifices?
While many may consider them to be sacrifices, I look at it is an investment of my time, efforts, experience, learning - all of which have contributed to who I am today. This evolution is priceless. I would not trade my journey for anything. I have approached every setback as an opportunity and this has made me a stronger individual.
15. What, in your opinion, has been the most challenging aspect of building the Annadana community?
Overcoming social evils that has led to catastrophic conditions in farmers’ lives. I have witnessed violence, abuse, alcoholism at close hand. I have spent many years helping them overcome their personal issues. I have never regretted investing my time, money or resources to counsel farmer families, and help them achieve autonomy by instilling in them the skills and confidence to forge forward.
16. What makes you happy?
Knowing that my work is making a difference to the lives of farmers and their families. When I hear of how farmers, their children, interns who have worked with us, are self-sufficient and blazing their own paths around the world, I’m grateful that I made the right choice. I love hearing from the people who’ve been a part of Annadana’s journey and how they are progressing in the world.
17. How would you describe yourself?
I’m a workaholic who thrives on her passion. I was lucky enough to have found my purpose and my undeterred determination to see things through to their rightful culmination has held me in good stead. By being grounded, open and transparent, I believe I attract like-minded souls who extend support at the most opportune moments.
- CONTACT -
Annadana Soil & Seed Savers Network
Contact no - 8277116606
farmrelations@annadana-india.org
http://www.annadana-india.org
https://www.facebook.com/AnnadanaIndia
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