Posted on July 14, 2010 - by JamieYuenger

Vandana Shiva Speaks Truth to Power

“Women Nourish Us” is our new, weekly blog series. It’s a shout-out from leading women in the good food movement. For the next three months, check out our blog every Wednesday for a new write-in by an inspiring and leading woman.  On this fine Wednesday, Vandana Shiva speaks truth to power.

Dr. Vandana Shiva was born in 1952, in Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India. She is a philosopher, environmental activist, eco feminist and author. Vandana, currently lives in Delhi and is the author of over 300 papers in leading scientific and technical journals. She received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1978 with the doctoral dissertation:“Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory.”

Vandana participated in the nonviolent Chipko movement during the 1970s. The movement, some of whose main participants were women, adopted the approach of forming human circles around trees to prevent their felling. She is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization, (along with Jerry Mander, Edward Goldsmith, Ralph Nader, Jeremy Rifkin), and a figure of the global solidarity movement known as the alter-globalization movement. She has argued for the wisdom of many traditional practices, as is evident from her interview in the book “Vedic Ecology” that draws upon India’s Vedic heritage.

Most farmers of the world are women. Most cooks, processors, and food transformers are women. Women’s food economy is shaped by concern for the health of the earth and the health of family and community. Women’s food economy is based on biodiversity and it creates cultural diversity.The food economy is now being hijacked by global corporations. Diversity is being replaced by monocultures. Seeds are being modified and patented. That is why I started Navdanya (which means 9 seeds as well as the new gift) in 1987. We save seeds as a commons by creating community seed banks. Over the past two decades more than 55 community seed banks have been created by Navdanya. We help farmers shift from farming with chemicals and GMOs to farming ecologically. We help farmers market their bio-diverse, organic produce directly without middle men, including corporations as middlemen. Farmers production can increase 2 to 5 times. Their incomes can increase up to 10 times. GMOs are getting farmers trapped in debt. And hundreds of thousand of indebted farmers have committed suicide. Navdanya is building an alternative to seeds of suicide through saving and spreading the seeds of life.

Please visit the Navdanya website for information and resources on Vandana Shiva’s work.

*If you believe in the power of women’s words and our growing sustainable food movement, please spread the word about this series via email, Facebook & Twitter (bit.ly = http://bit.ly/bJL46d). If you would like to host a screening of FRESH for your friends or organization, please – be in touch!