Join acclaimed scientist and author Dr. Vandana Shiva as she presents an international pledge for “Poison Free Food and Farming by 2030” to state policymakers and advocacy organizations. Policymakers and representatives from allied Vermont organizations will offer their support for poison free food and farming, while citizens sign onto the pledge in the company of Dr. Shiva.

This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
Rain location: Pavilion Auditorium

Dr. Vandana Shiva Event in Montpelier on May 6

Source: Sterling College

Dr. Vandana Shiva’s Call for “Poison-Free Food and Farming by 2030” Event in Montpelier on May 6

Dr. Vandana Shiva, one of the world’s leading advocates for a poison-free future and India’s most prominent spokesperson for biodiversity and climate change issues, is coming to the Northeast. On Monday, May 6, Dr. Shiva will speak and present an international pledge for “Poison-Free Food & Farming by 2030” to state policymakers and collaborating advocacy organizations in front of the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Policymakers and representatives from various Vermont organizations will also speak and link their work to the goals put forward in the Pledge for Poison-Free Food and Farming. Attendees will have the opportunity to sign on to the pledge and explore ways in which they can engage in important policy issues related to limiting the use of synthetic pesticides, within Vermont and beyond. Supporting organizations, including the Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition, Rural Vermont, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), Soil4Climate, Building A Local Economy (BALE), the Real Organic Project and many others, will be present to promote their own initiatives related to the collective movement toward a poison-free world.

The Montpelier event is part of Dr. Shiva’s “Northeast Earth Journey,” a series of presentations May 4-8 geared toward concerned citizens, farmers, health-care professionals and policy-makers focused on the interrelated issues of food system toxins, biodiversity, rights of farmers and climate change. Coordinated by Sterling College’s School of the New American Farmstead, Dr. Shiva’s trip is to galvanize support for her initiative to unite communities across the globe that are campaigning for food and farming practices not reliant upon the use of synthetic pesticides and other toxins.

Dr. Shiva will launch her “Northeast Earth Journey” on May 4 when she delivers the commencement address at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common. On May 5, she will lead a daylong workshop at Sterling College for activists focused on “Strategies for Social and Environmental Justice.” From Vermont, Dr. Shiva will proceed to Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York to present Navdanya’s pledge and initiative for “Poison-Free Food & Farming by 2030” to a variety of audiences in those states.

Since the fall of 2017, Dr. Shiva and her colleagues at Navdanya (the India-based organization founded by Dr. Shiva to promote seed-saving, biodiversity conservation, organic farming practices and the rights of farmers) have been working to connect different communities around the world that are working toward poison-free futures through a variety of political, grassroots and economic initiatives. Dr. Shiva’s “Northeast Earth Journey” comes at a critical moment in our history when the true costs of food and farming systems based on the use of synthetic pesticides and other toxins are becoming increasingly evident. Scientists have recently unveiled a broad range of studies documenting extraordinary declines in biodiversity around the globe. Meanwhile, juries in the US are siding with plaintiffs as a long line of individuals suffering from cancer pursue lawsuits against the manufacturers of glyphosate—the active ingredient in commonly-used herbicides such as Roundup.

Supporters are encouraged to take the Navdanya International Pledge for a “Poison-Free Food and Farming” initiative. Visit this link for more information on the pledge and Navdanya’s work.

For more information on the Vermont Statehouse event, please contact the event organizer: Cat Buxton, catduffybuxton@gmail.com Mobile: 802-359-3330

For more information on Dr. Shiva’s “Northeast Earth Journey” from May 4-8, please contact: Philip Ackerman-Leist, Dean, School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College ackermanleist@sterlingcollege.edu Mobile: 802-353-0965