Navdanya

Navdanya advocates for a new paradigm to address the fragmentation caused by fundamentalism and violence. The Earth democracy movement offers an alternative worldview based on non-violence, compassion, ecological responsibility, and economic justice. This movement seeks to replace the culture of destruction and greed with a culture of creative peace and life.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha, Navdanya launched the 'Bija Satyagraha' against Seed Laws and Patent Laws that attempt to criminalize the sharing and saving of seeds by making them the property of seed companies. The Bija Swaraj campaign aims to protect the sovereignty of seeds and food by opposing patents on these essential resources. It advocates for reviewing international agreements like TRIPs to exclude patents on seeds and food.
Under the Bija Swaraj campaign, Navdanya pledges to safeguard the right to save and exchange seeds freely, without domination and control by multinational corporations.

Navdanya is actively working to conserve agro-biodiversity through the establishment of community seed banks and the identification of seed keepers in various agro-ecological zones of India. These seed banks play a crucial role in preserving traditional seed varieties and promoting the cultivation of nutritious crops.
In recent times, the community seed banks in Navdanya's working areas have successfully contributed to the conservation of agro-biodiversity. They are managed by the local farming community itself, ensuring their sustainability.
Over the past three decades, Navdanya has set up 150 community seed banks across 22 states in India. Many of these seed banks are now self-sustaining, operating independently of Navdanya's support. The organization has also provided training and awareness to approximately 750,000 farmers in areas such as seed sovereignty, food sovereignty, and sustainable agriculture.

To meet the increasing demand for good organic seeds and farmer training and to disseminate knowledge on organic farming and indigenous open-pollinated organic seeds, Navdanya established a learning center known as Bija Vidyapeeth, or Seed University. This center aims to make farmers self-sufficient by utilizing locally available natural resources and traditional farming wisdom.
As part of Navdanya's initiative of fair trade, the center also educates consumers about the benefits of organic foods, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing quality and health over industrial and fast-food choices.
The idea of Bija Vidyapeeth was conceived by Dr. Vandana Shiva, the founder of Navdanya, and Satish Kumar, the founder Director of Schumacher College in the UK. It became a reality in the year 2000 and now serves as a center for participatory research and training in organic farming and biodiversity conservation.