Shumei International hosts Dr. Vandana Shiva in Lake Biwa,
Japan for Environmental Forum
Dr. Shiva, a renowned environmental activist, was the keynote speaker at the “Forum on Water, Soil and Agriculture” held on 2 April 2011 at the Biwako Hall Center for the Preforming Arts in Shiga.
The event was co-organized by Shumei and the Planning Committee Forum for Water, Soil and Agriculture and was supported by the Shiga Prefecture and the Shiga Prefectural Education Board. The Forum emphasized the role of the
individual in addressing pressing environmental and social concerns at the local and global level.
The Forum on Water, Soil, and Agriculture:
A Voice from Biwa Lake
Saturday, April 2, 2011
“We need to learn how to shape a role for humanity on this planet from the lessons that these messages nature are giving us.” –Dr. Vandana Shiva
The Forum on Water, Soil, and Agriculture began in the morning with exhibitions at the Biwako Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Shiga and was attended by students, families, environmental organizations and agricultural groups from throughout Japan. The activities culminated with keynote addresses from Dr. Vandana Shiva, a renowned physicist, ecologist, activist, author and a leader in the organic movement in India and throughout the world, and Governor Yukiko Kada of the Shiga Prefecture. There were also presentations by Mr. Alan Imai, Director of Shumei Natural Agriculture International Programs and Dr. Kazuyuki Yokoyama of the National Agriculture Research Center. He is also the author of Our Food is Our Nationality: Five scenarios for strengthening agriculture in Japan.
In Dr. Shiva’s address, her voice was strong and her message was clear. There are alternative farming methods that do not harm our environment and we need to look to nature as our ultimate guide. Dr. Shiva emphasized the connection between food and our consciousness and well-being. She stressed the importance of recognizing that the nutritional value and energy produced by food is greatly dependant on how the food is grown. This requires a new perspective and relationship with food and agriculture, because food should not be considered a mere commodity. It is a part of human life and our consciousness and it is a vital part of nature. As a physicist, Dr. Shiva also presented scientific data on the nutrients in the soil and the impact of additives to demonstrate the interconnectedness of the various components of agriculture.
Dr. Kazuyuki Yokama also gave an interesting scientific presentation on his research on the activity level of microbes in the soil. His work on microbes measures the energy in the soil. Dr. Yokama’s research found between 100 billion to 1 trillion microbes present in one gram of soil indicating a high level of bioorganic substances and a strong life force in the soil. Having tested approximately twenty Natural Agriculture farms in Japan last year, Dr. Yokama reported that he found that most of Shumei rice paddies had a higher than average level of active microbes. He said that bioorganic substances are essential for plant growth and biodiversity is a key element of this and it was impressive that Natural Agriculture yielded the growth of a wide variety of active microbes without the use of chemical fertilizers.
All of the speakers joined together in saying that in order to address water, soil and agricultural, we must realize that human beings are interconnected with each other and with nature. Dr. Vandana Shiva and the distinguished speakers at The Forum on Water, Soil, and Agriculture agreed that humankind needs to listen to nature to understand our interconnectedness to overcome the food security and environmental challenges facing the planet. Our actions have a ripple effect not just on our communities or countries, but the entire world. Shumei’s Alain Imai stressed that we need to change our attitudes and our behaviors and in order to create this shift in consciousness, we need to consider ourselves citizens of the world in our actions and thoughts.
The Forum closed with a reminder to pray for the victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami and to listen to the message from nature. A portion of the proceeds from the event went to the affected areas in Japan.
The Forum on Water, Soil and Agriculture was Dr. Vandana Shiva’s second event with Shumei International. Dr. Shiva spoke at the Klima Forum side event organized by Shumei International during the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009. The Klima Forum event was focused on Organic Solutions to Climate Change and Food Security.