Sadhguru: Because we have enough science to tell you
that if the organic content in the soil is 3%
what are the extra micronutrients which are present in that food, and what are the health benefits.
This is not hapening only because of lack of singular direction and commitment.
That's what I would like to bring to the COP15 in Ivory Coast.
Every nation - poor or rich - can do it, and it should be done.
Sadhguru, you are expected to attend the 15th session
of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
This conference will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in West Africa, from 9 to 20th of May.
World leaders, ministers, civil society organizations, experts,
the world will rally to Abidjan by thousands
to discuss the very important issue of land and soil.
And we very much... we are looking forward to your participation to this conference.
I believe Abidjan is one of the cities that you'll be visiting during that 100 day.
What do you expect from a Conference of the Parties like this one in Abidjan,
and what do you hope to accomplish there?
One thing I would request yourself and UNCCD as a whole,
to, in some way, get the focus more on topsoil.
Other concerns are there - I'm not saying you should give it up.
But in terms of simple policy, we must bring the concern to this.
This is what I would like to appeal to these 197 nations,
including the European Union, which is an important part of setting an example.
The important thing is this: that there must be an incentive for a farmer to raise the organic content.
Right now there are various products which are considered organic.
What are the other products? They are definitely not inorganic, we know that.
So, if we change the level itself
that it is a certain percentage of organic content - for example, right now northern Europe has 1.48%.
If northern Europe offers this incentive to the farmer, if you raise it to 3% organic content,
it's very easy to test the organic content of the soil;
it can be done on the field, you don't need a lab to do that.
So, if that is done, this product by converting the land into 3% organic content,
3% is not the best thing; 3% is starvation diet for the microbial life.
But at least let that much happen, because at least they stay alive.
We know that they are dying, and desertification is happening means,
microbial life is being starved to death - that's what it means.
So, at least keep them alive, and as it raises,
you label the product according to its organic content.
In the meanwhile, the businesses and industry can jump in,
and see that the farmer gets the carbon credit.
It's very important we enhance the renumerative aspect of farming,
otherwise nobody will be farming in another 25-30 years' time.
So, another thing is, the product will find different ladders in the marketplace,
3%, 4%, 5% - because we have enough science to tell you
that if the organic content of the soil is 3%,
what are the extra micronutrients which are present in that food,
and what are the health benefits, what are the preventive health benefits?
All this is well established, we just need to correlate this
and establish a roadmap that the whole world moves towards a minimum 3 to 6% organic content
in the next 8 to 12 years' time - it is very much doable.
Because just if you bring cover crops inside in summers or winters according to the...
nature of one's climate - just the cover crop and plow it back into the land.
If you do this, within 6 to 8 years, most lands will reach 3% minimum.
So, it is not not doable, nor does it take an enormous amount of money,
it is only a question of single-pointed direction and commitment.
What we have seen in India is, to put cover crops if government has to give subsidy for the seeds
to be thrown into the soil, out of which you're not taking any crop,
it is just being used as humus, if you have to do that,
it just costs 450 Rupees per acre,
which is just 5 Euros, or less than 5 Euros, per acre.
Every nation can do this, it does not need heavy budgets.
If you want to do it within 2 to 3 years' time, it will cost little more money.
But if you want to do it in 6 to 8 years' time, every nation can do it.
This is not happening only because of lack of
singular direction and commitment - that's what I would like to bring
to the COP15 in Ivory Coast,
that these 197 nations, if they look at it this way,
that a singular focus towards topsoil, and a commitment towards that,
this doesn't take money, this doesn't take any great technology,
every nation - poor or rich - can do it.
And it should be done. If you're interested in the future of this world,
and the future generations - UNFAO goes about to say,
the food that we're eating right now belongs to the unborn child.
Eating up the food of the unborn child hurts me deep in my heart.
It feels like we're commiting a crime against humanity itself.
Well, thank you very much, Sadhguru.
Thank you to all listeners and viewers.
Millions from around the world follow you Sadhguru,
and we hope that they will do more than just following you in your videos,
they'll be following you with actions.
And we would like to call all people in the world
to actually take care of this very important natural capital of ours, because it is life.
It is our food, it is our air, it is the quality of the water,
it is the quality of our health, and it is the quality of the food - the nutritious food that we all need.
So, I would like to thank you all very much for your participation,
thank you Sadhguru for your tour.