By Helen Gloege ’23
Staff Writer
An image of 68-year-old Indian environmental activist, Vandana Shiva. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Vandana Shiva is a 68-year-old Indian environmental activist with a focus on food sovereignty. Shiva went to school for physics, later pursuing research in the intersection of science, technology and environmental policy. She has written over twenty books, with her first, titled “Staying Alive,” linking the abuse of nature with that of marginalized women living in rural India. This study lead to her future co-authored book “Ecofeminism,” which aims to show how gender, nature and oppression intersect. Another pillar of Shiva’s work has been her fight against the use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture. To help communities preserve their local crop varieties, Shiva founded Navdanya, an India-based non-governmental organization that is responsible for the creation of over 150 community seed banks, which preserve local seeds for the community to utilize. Through the seed banks, Shiva aims to establish greater food sovereignty and support local farmers.