“My background as an immigrant really pushed me to seed saving,” said USF College of Arts and Sciences student Dharsh Saravana. “I've been on this mission to find seeds I grew up around and find foods that are culturally appropriate to me that I just cannot find in our current food system.”
USF College of Arts and Sciences student Dharsh Saravana is majoring in environmental science and policy and double minoring in math and GIS. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Saravana moved to the U.S. from India at a young age, but the ties to their cultural background have been a powerful driver of their educational career path.
As a junior earning an undergraduate degree in environmental science and policy from the School of Geosciences with a double minor in math and GIS, Saravana is working toward the goal of addressing urban food resilience, diversity of food systems, and food sovereignty for vulnerable populations in urban spaces.
“Food sovereignty is all about people having the rights over their food systems; our current system faces many issues and does not adequately serve the people, such as healthy and nutritious foods being more expensive,” Saravana explained.
Saravana, who is also vice president of the Agrarian Club, has been working locally to initiate and engage in regenerative agriculture.
“If the land is impoverished, that means the people who call that land home are also impoverished,” they said. “Regenerative agriculture is about incorporating sustainable practices so that the land can support the food systems that we need to support ourselves and future generations. It’s very much this reciprocal relationship between the land and the people. We depend on our land as much as the land depends on us, and it is about how both sides can care for and support each other.
In the Agrarian Club, Saravana’s connected with many other students on the same mission to be better stewards of the environment. They have engaged in practices such as composting workshops, seed saving, and hosting community events showcasing local vendors who are active in regenerative agricultural practices.
William Schanbacher, assistant professor of religious studies, is the faculty advisor for the Agrarian Club.
He explained that the club is composed of students who are dedicated to learning about different food cultures, growing food, and critically thinking about problems and solutions related to issues like food insecurity, the loss of biodiversity in our plant and insect world, and the health of our community.
“It’s the students in this club who will provide the next generation of innovation, environmental stewardship and real-world solutions for building healthier communities,” he explained. “The ideals of the Agrarian Club are deeply rooted in a mutual respect and love of the planet, and that includes specific projects that help regenerate our relationships with the earth, animals, and our neighbors. We grow plants without the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides, support pollinators, like bees, and host farmers markets to support local, climate friendly businesses.”
Saravana (center) with their fellow Agrarian Club members setting up for an event at the Botanical Gardens. (Photo courtesy of Dharsh Saravana)
Local organizations and vendors working in sustainable agriculture were featured at the Agrarian Club’s recent farmer’s market held in April. (Photo courtesy of Dharsh Saravana)
According to Schanbacher, high rates of food insecurity (approximately 200,000 people
in Hillsborough County, and 44.2 million in the United States) is still a persistent
issue. He also adds that climate change is negatively impacting our food supply and
contributing to deteriorating farmer livelihoods.
“The Agrarian club explores and is committed to developing agrarian ideals, which are expressed in a devotion to the land—the place where we live—and the health of local ecologies of nature, economics, and culture,” he said.
Saravana plans to make a career out of addressing these issues and also pursue a master’s degree when they graduate.
“I want to make urban systems stronger so that the people living in those systems, especially vulnerable populations, can also be more resilient,” they said.