Dr. Vandana Shiva says the dependence on chemicals and fossil fuels that enable large scale agriculture is a threat to the planet, and she is advocating a global change in the practice and paradigms of agriculture, and the food it creates.
Radio New Zealand National (http://www.radionz.co.nz/national)
Dr. Vandana Shiva has a Degree in Physics and is a Doctor of Philosophy.
She is energetic, vibrant and highly admired. Dr. Shiva is seen as âone-woman movement for peace, sustainability and social justice.â
In 1982 she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, which is dedicated to high quality independent research to address the most significant ecological and social issues of our times. In 1991 she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seeds promoting organic farming and fair trade. For last two decades Navdanya has worked with local communities and organizations serving more than 200,000 men and women farmers. Navdanyaâs efforts have resulted in conservation of more than 2000 rice varieties and have established 34 seed banks in 13 states across the country. More than 70,000 farmers are members of Navdanya. Dr. Shiva has contributed in fundamental ways to changing the practice and paradigms of agriculture.
She is a strong eco feminist and advocate for womenâs equality in global policy and the empowerment of women in rural agriculture. Her books âThe Violence of Green Revolutionâ and âMonocultures of the Mindâ have challenged the dominant paradigm of non-sustainable, reductionist agricultural practices. She is an adviser to governments and political organisations and is working with the government of Bhutan to become the first Dr. Shiva is a founding Board member of many important organizations such as the International Forum on Globalisation and Diverse Women for Diversity. Time Magazine identified her as an environmental hero in 2003. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993 and the 2010 Sydney Peace Prize.
Dr. Shiva is the author of numerous publications these are the most recent-
2005, Globalization's New Wars: Seed, Water and Life Forms Women Unlimited, New Delhi, ISBN 81-88965-17-0 2005, Earth Democracy; Justice, Sustainability, and Peace, South End Press, ISBN 0-89608-745-X 2007, Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed, editor, South End Press ISBN 978-0-89608-777-4 2007, Democratizing Biology: Reinventing Biology from a Feminist, Ecological and Third World Perspective, author, Paradigm Publishers ISBN 978-1-59451-204-92008, Soil Not Oil, Spinifex Press ISBN 9781876756727 http://www.spinifexpress.com.au/Bookstore/book/id=198/ 2010, Staying Alive, Spinifex Press ISBN 9781876756161 http://www.spinifexpress.com.au/Bookstore/book/id=200/ 2012, Making Peace with the Earth, Spinifex Press ISBN 9781742198385 http://www.spinifexpress.com.au/Bookstore/book/id=237/