6 Dec 2011 - QA 5

Guruji, It is said by the World Bank report that developing countries like, India, Africa, etc., would face severe shortage of food by 2015 if the governments don’t take concrete steps towards agriculture and its sustenance. These days we see a massive migration of families from rural to urban areas. What is your advice to the government and the people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: We must go back to farming. People should do farming.
I advice all those people who have taken to agricultural science and agricultural degrees to get back to the farm and grow more food. It is necessary.
That is why we have started an agri-business academy here in the ashram.
So agriculture is also a business and students should know how agriculture is a very prosperous business around the world. China has bought many acres of land in Africa and they are doing such good cultivation there. We should learn from China, how they have taken care to go to other countries and cultivate there also.
I was in Ethiopia and I was told there is a lot of land in Ethiopia. There are some Indian industrialists who have bought land in Ethiopia and other African countries and they are growing palm trees and other things there.
So here we must grow food. Everyone should see how they can contribute through vegetables or whatever way. Small or big everyone should grow something.

In the ancient Indian spiritual practices, agriculture has been an integral part of it. Any ceremony or Pooja would not start without ’ankurarpan’ (sowing the seeds).
If you see in Chandi Havan the first thing they do is sow the seeds and when the sprouts come only then they do other celebrations.
So it is very important that people should grow more food. Today, everyone is leaving villages and going to the city, it is very important to do farming in the villages.