Going green? Take a leaf from Goa Green Brigade

BY ARMSTRONG VAZ

Grow your own food and protect yourself from the harmful pesticide-infused vegetables and fruits coming from across the borders and its possible health hazards, advises former business and environment journalist-turned-activist Avertino Miranda.

Avertino, in collaboration with individuals who share similar views, has established the Goa Green Brigade which advocates for environmental issues and promotes organic farming for the cultivation of food and vegetables.

“We started networking with farmers, asking them to give up pesticides, weedicides and chemical fertilisers. We requested them to get into the organic movement started by Goa Green Brigade,” Avertino told Gomantak Times Digital.

He said the group has initiated a movement and a campaign, and they are offering seeds at subsidised prices in Margao and Panjim. "We have a collection of more than 60 seed varieties, intended for backyard farming rather than commercial use," he said and added, "These seeds can be cultivated in one's backyard, pots, or terrace. Growing one's own food is the healthiest option since it is free from pesticide contamination."

He lamented that most of the vegetables and fruits, including apples from Himachal and Kashmir, are heavily sprayed and due to this cancer cases are on the rise in the state. “Apples are being heavily sprayed with chemicals. People are suffering because they are not eating healthy food. Now you find so many new diseases in Goa. If you go to a popular cancer hospital in Panjim city, it is full,” said Avertino.

The rising cancer cases in the state has rung alarm bells among many people and a large number of them are going organic. “This movement has caught on. People have realised (of the hazards) and many have joined the movement. There is nothing like growing your own food,” he said.

“I have customers who regularly come to me. I asked them one day why were they willing to pay a premium and buy this when they can get it cheaper in the market. They said it is better to spend ₹10 to ₹20 extra than spending ₹40 to ₹50 lakh for cancer treatment,” he said. At his Margao shop in Mungul area, he sells organic products and seeds on dedicated days of the week.

He lamented that certain individuals from Goa lack foresight when it comes to organic farming. They fail to consider the long-term advantages for health, he expressed.

He has urged the Goa government, which is in the process of formulating the new agriculture policy, to abandon the use of harmful chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and weedicides. These substances not only harm our bodies but also pollute the environment and contaminate the groundwater, he emphasised.

Goa Green Brigade helps farmers be a part of the organic movement in the State and also market their products. “We help farmers market their organic produce. We also provide them with organic manure. We have a variety of organic items on sale. Farmers today are in a position to sell their organic produce because we network with them,” he said.

When questioned about the viability of agriculture as a business, Avertino responded positively. He explained that agriculture requires a significant amount of time for development. For example, if you plant a mango tree, it will not bear fruit within a year. It may take three, four, or even five years, he said and added, "therefore, it is important to consider the long-term benefits rather than focusing on immediate yields.

Avertino also stressed the importance of preserving land, particularly paddy fields, and saving it from falling in the hands of builders' lobbies.

“Our agricultural lands are being destroyed very rapidly. If you go to any village, you see so much destruction. Somebody is building a bungalow in the fields, somebody is putting up a factory or a car wash centre, so there is so much destruction. It pains me. As a citizen, as a resident of Goa, being a Goan, if I remain silent, then I'm part of this destruction,” Avertino said.

Explaining his movement to save Goa from destruction, Avertino said, “We started a movement to save Goa, our agricultural lands, our environment. We started a group called Goa Green Brigade, which is fighting to save the trees, mountains or hills, wildlife, the entire flora and fauna, including mangroves and other areas. We need to revive our paddy fields which are fallow. The government is acquiring our age-old institutions like Comunidade that are getting destroyed rapidly. There is so much destruction.”

Away from the fields and organic movement, Goa Green Brigade has filed a Public Interest Litigation which has come up for hearing in the High Court of Bombay at Goa. They have started another movement on the ground to save Goan lands from destruction by adopting three villages Guirim, Sangolda and Socorro, so as to protect these from further destruction.