Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Isha Outreach in Ahmedabad in order to conserve soil in the state making Gujarat the first Indian state to officially join the global movement to save soil.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and Sadhguru, founder - Isha Foundation, several cabinet members and government officials from the Climate Change Department, were present during the event.
Addressing the gathering, Gujarat CM spoke about the importance of soil for human survival and affirmed that “Gujarat will take the lead in conserving the soil and all the other organisms which are crucial for our existence on this planet.”
Sadhguru expressed his joy on Gujarat becoming the first Indian state to sign the MoU and appreciated the response he received in the state since his arrival from a journey of 26 nations across Europe, Central Asia and Middle East.
Speaking about the MoU, the Isha Foundation founder said, “the handbook has simple principles with which the government can make a policy. Normally the government has to prepare the concept and then make the policy but, we have made the concept so that the government can make the policy quickly.”
Earlier, Sadhguru had met with leaders from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Further speaking with the media on the sidelines of signing the MoU, he reiterated the appeal to industry to “work out a carbon credit scheme for the farmers” and consider it as their responsibility.
“In southern India, we’ve worked with over 130,000 farmers, i.e. 1.3 lakh farmers, but for the last seven years we have been trying so hard to get the carbon credit for them. It's almost impossible because the carbon credits scheme is essentially designed for industry, not suited for farmers. Farmers are not able to get it. Though they can sequester an enormous amount of carbon they’re not able to get the carbon credit,” he said.
Sadhguru had launched the ‘Save Soil’ Movement in March this year to prevent a phenomenon that UN agencies are referring to as ‘soil extinction’ – the death of fertile soils worldwide posing an existential threat to the human race. He is currently on a 100-day lone motorcycle journey spanning 30,000-km across Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East to build consensus for urgent policy-driven action globally to prevent soil extinction.
The Movement comes in the wake of alarming degradation of fertile soils across the world, posing a clear and present threat to global food and water security. Around 30% of fertile soils in India have already turned barren and are incapable of yield.
The Save Soil Movement has a primary objective to urge all nations to mandate a minimum of 3-6% organic content in agricultural soils through urgent policy reforms. Without this minimum organic content, soil scientists have warned that death of soil is imminent. To achieve its objective, the Movement aims to demonstrate the support of 3.5 billion people across the world – 60% of the world’s electorate – to Save Soil which will empower governments to act to prevent soil extinction.
The Save Soil Movement is supported by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN World Food Programme, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 74 nations around the world have pledged concrete action to save soil in their countries since Sadhguru began his lone motorcycle journey from London on 21st March.
A host of global influencers including agriculture experts, conservationists, soil scientists, political, business, cultural and environmental leaders besides celebrities and millions of citizens across the world have pledged support for the Movement.