Dr. Vandana Shiva, left, tours Crabtree Farms on Tuesday with Executive Director Joel Houser, right, and Melanie Mayo, director of outreach and education. Standing behind them is Crabtree Farms intern Andrea Jaeger. Shiva, an advocate for “a clean and just food system,” is making a three-day visit to the Chattanooga area.
Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free PressTHREE TIPS* Grow a backyard garden* Avoid fast food* Buy produce from local farmersSource: Dr. Vandana Shiva
A world-renowned environmental leader had a strong message Tuesday for Chattanooga fans of Whoppers, Krystals and McNuggets.
“To anyone who grabs anything because it’s accessible, cheap,” said Dr. Vandana Shiva, of India, “You might think that is sustainable in terms of time management, but it’s horribly non-sustainable in terms of body management.”
A vice president of Slow Food International, Shiva had just finished a tour of Crabtree Farms, where fruits and vegetables rule, pesticides are panned and plastic is shunned “out of conviction,” according to executive director Joel Houser.
The Benwood Foundation funded Shiva’s visit and public lecture Tuesday night at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through Gaining Ground, a three-year, $1.65 million investment to establish a local food economy.