The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
“In nature's economy, the currency is not money, it is life.” ~ Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva, a world-renowned environmental thinker, activist, feminist, philosopher of science, writer and science policy advocate. She is the founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology (RFSTE), an independent research institute that addresses the most significant problems of ecology in our times. She is also the founder of Navdanya, which means “nine seeds” and symbolizes the protection of biological and cultural diversity, through the gift of seed-saving and seed-sharing.
Navdanya is a Biodiversity Conservation Farm, as well as a national movement to protect the biodiversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seeds, as well as the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. For last 30+ years, Navdanya has worked with local communities and organizations, serving men and women farmers, students, scientists, and researchers from across the globe. Navdanya International reaches even further as a global outreach program whose mission through campaigns, has been to educate world citizens about the importance of protecting seed biodiversity, people’s rights to organic food, farmer’s rights to save and exchange organic seeds, as well as protecting indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.
Vandana Shiva also established an international college for sustainable living called The Earth University, or Bija Vidyapeeth, which is Sanskrit for School of the Seed. It’s located at Navdanya’s biodiversity farm in Uttarakhand, India. The primary two courses they offer every year are called “Return to Earth: A-Z of Biodiversity, Agroecology, and Regenerative Organic Food Systems”, a month long program where you get to live at Navdanya, and their 4-day course “Gandhi, Globalization and Earth Democracy”, as well as many other diverse workshops.
The Earth University ultimately teaches Earth Democracy, which is the freedom for all species to evolve within the web of life, and the freedom and responsibility of humans, as members of the Earth family, to recognize, protect, and respect the rights of other species. Earth Democracy is a shift from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism. And since we all depend on the Earth, Earth Democracy translates into human rights to food and water, to freedom from hunger and thirst. Since the Earth University is located at Navdanya, participants get to learn how to work directly, with living seeds, living soil, living food, and living food economies, during their educational courses.
Shiva is also a prolific author of numerous books, a world-renowned speaker, and has been featured in many documentary films. I consider her the world’s leading expert on seeds, in the anti-GMO global debate.
Check out the New Feature Film Trailer about Vandana Shiva:
“The Seeds of Vandana Shiva” feature-length documentary film
is available to rent or buy here: https://vandanashivamovie.com
Seeds have rights, in the rights of seeds depends our rights of food.
Saving and sharing seeds is the basis of seed freedom and food freedom.
Watch the Film “Seeds of Freedom” featuring Vandana Shiva (2012)
"Whatever happens to seed affects the web of life." ~ Vandana Shiva
“All of us who care about the future of Planet Earth must be grateful to Vandana Shiva. Her voice is powerful, and she is not afraid to tackle those corporate giants that are polluting, degrading and ultimately destroying the natural world.” ~ Jane Goodall
Learn more about Navdanya: navdanya.com
Navdanya International: navdanyainternational.org
Join the Seed Freedom Movement: seedfreedom.info
Attend The Earth University: EarthUniversity
“We will continue to create a new world — seed by seed, person by person, community by community — until this planet is embraced in a circle of resurgent life and resurgent love.” ~ Vandana Shiva
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