-> T.S. Venkatesan
Jaggi Vasudev to begin 30,000 km lone motorcycle journey from UK on March 21st
To underscore the need to save soil, Jaggi Vasudev, founder-Isha Foundation, left Coimbatore on March 5th to begin his lone motorcycle journey of 30,000 km across 27 nations in 100 days as part of the global Movement to #SaveSoil.
A release from Isha says, 100-day journey of Sadhguru, as fondly called by his followers, will include engagements with leaders of all 27 nations to urge them to initiate urgent policy action to Save Soil in their countries’.
“We have been activating the Save Soil Movement for 2 years now,” said Sadhguru who has been meeting ministers and leaders of nations for the past 8 months to build global consensus for concerted action to save the world’s soils.
Sadhguru said the Movement is “an effort to bring a policy in 192 countries that if you own agricultural land, a minimum of 3-6% organic content should be there (in the soil). This is our responsibility for the future generation”.
“We have written policy documents specific to each country depending upon its soil type, its latitudinal position, the region and agricultural traditions of that region; accordingly we have written separate policy documents for every nation.” he said
Jaggi Vasudev said his first stop after leaving Bharat will be the United States where he will hold media interactions to bring attention to the issue. He revealed that “in United States in the last 12 years, 50% of the farmers have not made a single dollar. The highest suicide rate among all professions in United States is (from) the farming community.” He will then travel to the Caribbean islands where 9-11 nations are expected to sign MoUs with the Save Soil Movement.
During his 100-day journey, the Sadhguru will also address the 15th session of the Convention of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). He will address the international community of business, political and social leaders at the premier global platform for public-private cooperation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, to urge them to join the global effort to Save Soil. Both events are scheduled in May.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are some of the global agencies that are partnering with the Save Soil Movement’ says the release.
Yuri Jain, Project Coordinator, Isha Outreach, presented the Save Soil Movement at a virtual session hosted by United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) on the same day where he was invited to speak at the ongoing Faith for Earth Dialogue. Isha was accredited to the UNEA by UNEP in 2020..
““We seek to educate and empower citizens across all countries of the world and we are working with governments to initiate policy-driven action to revitalize soil. To Save Soil is not an Isha Movement. It’s owned by anyone who is made of soil; it’s a Movement that’s driven by anyone who has ever walked on soil; and it’s a Movement that belongs to anyone who wishes to leave behind a world worthy of living in for their children” , he said.