Vandana Shiva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vandana Shiva
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Shiva in 2014
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| Born | 5 November 1952 |
| Alma mater | Panjab University, Chandigarh University of Guelph University of Western Ontario |
| Occupation | Philosopher, environmentalist, author, professional speaker, social activist, physicist |
| Awards | Right Livelihood Award (1993) Sydney Peace Prize (2010) Mirodi Prize (2016) Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize (2012) |
Vandana Shiva (born 5 November 1952) is an Indian scholar and environmental activist. She is also a food sovereignty advocate, meaning she supports people's right to healthy and culturally appropriate food. She is known for her work against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Many people call her the "Gandhi of grain" because of her efforts.
Vandana Shiva lives in Delhi, India. She has written more than 20 books. She is a leader in the movement against globalization, which is about how countries and economies become more connected. She believes in using traditional farming methods.
Contents
Early Life and School
Vandana Shiva was born in Dehradun, India. Her father worked to protect forests. Her mother was a farmer who loved nature. Vandana went to school in Nainital and Dehradun.
She studied physics at Punjab University in Chandigarh. She earned her first degree in 1972. Later, she moved to Canada. There, she earned a master's degree in the philosophy of science. In 1978, she got her PhD in philosophy from the University of Western Ontario. Her studies focused on how physics works. After that, she did more research in science, technology, and environmental policy in India.
Her Work and Career
Vandana Shiva has written and spoken a lot about farming and food. She works on topics like intellectual property rights, which are rules about who owns ideas. She also focuses on biodiversity, which means having many different kinds of plants and animals. Other areas she works on include biotechnology, bioethics, and genetic engineering.
She has helped groups around the world. These groups work to protect the environment. They often oppose new farming methods that use genetic engineering.
In 1982, she started the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology. This led to Navdanya in 1991. Navdanya is a group that works to protect different types of seeds. It also promotes organic farming and fair trade. "Navdanya" means "Nine Seeds" or "New Gift." The group teaches farmers about the benefits of growing many different crops. They encourage farmers not to rely on just one type of food. Navdanya has set up over 40 seed banks across India. These banks help keep diverse crops growing in different regions. In 2004, Shiva also started Bija Vidyapeeth. This is a school for sustainable living in India.
Vandana Shiva and her team have fought against "biopiracy." This is when companies try to patent traditional plants or knowledge. They challenged patents on plants like neem and basmati rice. She has also advised governments on laws about biodiversity.
Her first book, Staying Alive (1988), changed how people saw women in developing countries. She also wrote a report about women and farming in India. She helped start groups that focus on women and the environment.
In 1993, she received the Right Livelihood Award. This award honors people who work for a better world.
Shiva's book Making Peace With the Earth talks about biodiversity. It also discusses how communities connect with nature. She believes that destroying nature also harms traditional communities. These communities, she says, "understand the language of nature."
She has advised governments and non-profit groups. She is part of the World Future Council. This group works for solutions that help future generations.
In 2021, she advised Sri Lanka to ban chemical fertilizers. The goal was to help farmers and save money. However, this sudden change caused problems. Farming output dropped, especially for tea and rice. The ban was later stopped after seven months.
Her Activism
Vandana Shiva's work on farming began in 1984. This was after violence in Punjab and a chemical leak in Bhopal. Her studies led to her book, The Violence of the Green Revolution.
She believes that chemicals used in farming have harmed soil and ecosystems. She says that many pesticides can enter our food.
Shiva is a founding member of the World Future Council (WFC). The WFC was created in 2007. It aims to find solutions for future generations. Their main focus is on climate safety.
She supports making "ecocide" a crime. Ecocide means causing serious harm to the environment. She says that wanting endless growth harms the Earth.
Seed Freedom
Vandana Shiva strongly supports "seed freedom." This means that companies should not be able to patent new plant types. She has campaigned against a global agreement called TRIPS. This agreement allows patents on living things. Shiva believes this agreement helps big companies. She calls the patenting of life "biopiracy."
She has fought against attempts to patent traditional plants. For example, in 2005, her group won a long fight. They stopped a patent on the neem tree. In 1998, her group Navdanya started a campaign against a patent on basmati rice. By 2001, the company lost most of its claims to the patent.
Golden Rice Debate
Shiva is against golden rice. This is a type of rice that has been changed to produce vitamin A. She believes golden rice is not helpful. She calls it a "hoax." She says it could cause more hunger, not solve it. She also claims that women in Bengal grow many greens that provide vitamin A.
Others, like Adrian Dubock, say golden rice is cheap. They point out that a lack of vitamin A causes blindness. It also causes many deaths in young children. Patrick Moore suggests that many children who need vitamin A eat mostly rice. In 2013, two economists studied the issue. They estimated that not using golden rice in India had led to over 1.4 million deaths.
Ecofeminism
Vandana Shiva is a key figure in the global ecofeminist movement. This movement connects environmental issues with women's rights. In her 2004 article Empowering Women, she suggests a better way to farm. She believes farming should involve women more. She argues that women-focused farming would be much better for the environment. She thinks that environmental problems often become women's responsibility.
Shiva co-wrote the book Ecofeminism in 1993. This book combined ideas from Western and Southern feminism. It also looked at environmental, technology, and feminist issues.
Films Featuring Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva has been interviewed in many documentary films. These films cover topics like food, the environment, and social issues.
Some films she has appeared in include:
- The Corporation (2003)
- Dirt! The Movie
- Planet of the Humans
She has also appeared in films about water issues, such as:
- Blue Gold: World Water Wars
- Flow: For Love of Water
On the topic of genetically modified crops, she was featured in:
- Fed Up! (2002)
- The World According to Monsanto
She also appeared in a film about the Dalai Lama. In 2010, she was in Queen of the Sun, a film about honeybees. She also appeared in the French films Demain and Solutions locales pour un désordre global.
In 2016, she was in the vegan documentary H.O.P.E.: What You Eat Matters. In this film, she spoke about the animal farming industry.
A feature-length documentary about her life, The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, was released in 2021.
Selected Films She Appeared In
- Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs, 2012
- The Farmer and His Prince, 2013
- Poverty Inc., 2014
- The True Cost, 2015 (about fast fashion)
Recognitions
Vandana Shiva was named one of the BBC's 100 women of 2019.
Images for kids
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Shiva in 2014
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Vandana Shiva in Cologne, Germany, in 2007
See also
In Spanish: Vandana Shiva para niños
- Green Revolution in India
- Science and technology studies in India
- List of Indian writers
