SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: With a view to save soil and coast from degradation, State government is all set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sadhguru’s ‘Isha Outreach’ -- Isha Foundation, on August 23. Goa will be the seventh State to execute the MoU.
Addressing mediapersons on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the MoU will be signed at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, which is committed to save the State’s soils by providing necessary expertise, training and awareness through various sections.
The MoU will be signed between the Department of Environment and Climate Change and Isha Outreach in the presence of Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev, Union Minister Shripad Naik, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Goa Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral.
“Exchange of expertise, training and empowerment of stakeholders and public awareness is the motto of the programme. We will stress on sustainable soil health management from the perspective of agriculture productivity and food security,” Sawant said.
“Food security and sustainable food system, sustainable farming system, degradation of food producing agriculture soil, natural and organic farming practices and other concerned areas will be collaborated with Isha Outreach. This MoU will be for three years,” he said, adding that the Isha Outreach will share the soil policy with the government with recommendations and measures to save soil and the coast from degradation.
Sawant said that Isha Foundation will provide necessary training and guidance to the State Environment Department, who will in turn guide other stakeholders.
“Natural farming concept is what Goa is looking for along with diversification of agriculture with the introduction of inter-cropping concept. These are the two areas that will help farmers in doubling their income and also march towards being Swayampurna,” he said.
The Chief Minister has appealed agriculturists, environmentalists and NGOs to participate in this programme.
Sadhguru’s ‘Save Soil’ initiative is a global movement aimed at soil conservation “in the wake of alarming soil degradation that threatens desertification of 90 per cent of the Earth’s agricultural soils by 2050, less than three decades from now”.
According to the Isha Foundation, “The primary objective of the movement is to urge all nations to mandate a minimum of 3-6 per cent organic content in agricultural soils. The movement is proposing a policy-driven mandate supported by government incentives for farmers to raise organic content on farmlands.”
