“Seed is not just the source of life. It is the very foundation of our being.” -Vandana Shiva
FRIENDS OF NAVDANYA was created to support and expand the work of Navdanya, a women-led movement founded 30 years ago by environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva to defend seed & food sovereignty of small farmers. Central to Navdanya’s mission is the vision of an EARTH DEMOCRACY, a new agricultural & economic paradigm where seed, food & ecological justice takes precedence over profits in today’s global food system; & where economic security, biodiversity, & the mitigation of climate change are achieved via regenerative agroecology. HELP US SEED THE FUTURE FOR FARMERS & THE EARTH.
HONORING THE EARTH
On August 9, Navdanya women farmers in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal marked Raksha Bandhan in their traditional way of tying rakhis—decorative threads or wristbands symbolizing love and protection—around trees.
Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival in India that celebrates the bond of love, protection, and mutual respect between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie rakhis—decorative threads or wristbands symbolizing love and protection—around their brothers’ wrists, and brothers vow to honor and protect their sisters in return. On August 9, Navdanya women farmers in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal gave this tradition new meaning by tying rakhis around trees instead of wrists. Known as Raksha Sutra, this act transforms the festival into a pledge of ecological guardianship. By tying rakhis to trees, women farmers declare their enduring bond with nature and commit to safeguarding forests and biodiversity, affirming that when we protect nature, nature protects us. This August, more than 200 women joined the ritual across four states, with schoolchildren participating as well, extending the circle of ecological guardianship to future generations. For Navdanya, Raksha Bandhan is no longer only about family bonds—it is about the sacred relationship between people and the Earth. Each thread tied becomes both a symbol of gratitude and a promise to defend Earth’s Democracy and living systems that sustain us all.
SEASON OF MILLET
For the last 33 years, Navdanya has partnered with women farmers from the Himalayas to revive Bhoole Bisre Anaj—the “forgotten foods” of India, known today as millets. Cultivated for at least 5,000 years across the subcontinent, millets are the original climate-smart crops: hardy, drought-tolerant, quick-growing, and rich in nutrients. Their resilience allows them to thrive in both irrigated and dryland farming, providing not only abundant grain but also fodder during times of scarcity. With long storage life and a light ecological footprint, they are ideal famine reserves and pillars of food security. Nutritionally, millets are gluten-free, high in fiber, and packed with calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other micronutrients. Beyond their nutrition, millets are woven into India’s diverse food cultures—once central to everyday meals, they were gradually displaced by rice and wheat monocultures during the Green Revolution. Navdanya conserves and shares this diversity through seeds of jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), jhangora (barnyard millet), barri (proso millet), kangni (foxtail millet), kodra (kodo millet), ramdhana (amaranth), and buckwheat.
At Navdanya’s Biodiversity Conservation Farm in Uttarakhand, ragi—also known as finger millet—is now in full seasonal bloom, filling the fields with green blooms that will transform into rust-colored stalks of renewal. This ancient grain, cultivated in India for over 3,000 years, is one of the hardiest crops in our living seed heritage. Naturally drought-tolerant, low-input, and pest-resistant, ragi thrives without chemicals, restoring soils and conserving water even in times of climate stress. Beyond sustainability, it is a deeply cultural food: gluten-free, rich in calcium, iron, and fiber, and central to traditional Himalayan diets. The varieties Navdanya conserves are heirloom seeds, safeguarded by generations of women farmers who passed them down through droughts, floods, and the monocultures of the Green Revolution. While harvest comes later in the year, this season’s flourishing ragi stands as a living promise: by protecting our ancient grains today, we secure nourishment, biodiversity, and food sovereignty for tomorrow.
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THE FARM
Since the 1980’s, Dehradun, India has been home to the Navdanya farm and Bija Vidyapeeth/Earth University. The thriving organic farm, biodiversity research center, and seed bank welcomes farmers, students, researchers and thought leaders from all over the world to come learn and engage in nature surrounded by the Himalayas.
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WHY DONATE?
When you contribute to Friends of Navdanya, your support strengthens the mission of Navdanya to create farmer self-reliance, defend seed & food sovereignty, and preserve Earth Democracy. Join us in advancing this vital work for the future of our planet and the well-being of farmers globally.
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THE MOVEMENT
The Navdanya Movement began with a focus on seed freedom and agroecology and has expanded to include food for health, climate resilience, corporate control & economic democracy, and Earth democracy. It began with Navdanya in India and expanded globally with the creation of Navdanya International and the addition of Friends of Navdanya.
