RP292 An Unlikely Champion of Farmers Everywhere

 RP292 An Unlikely Champion of Farmers Everywhere

Dr. Vandana Shiva may strike some people as an unlikely hero. For one, the Indian human rights worker is actually a physicist by training. However, she has devoted most of her life to fighting for social justice. She also doesn't exactly look threatening: short with graying hair. Yet the woman has a wit that's sharper than any knife. She has single-handedly taken on some of the most powerful organizations on earth—and won.

Shiva is a leading figure in the anti-globalization movement. She fights against big, international corporations that try to dominate local businesses. More specifically, Shiva has spent much of her life fighting for the interests of small-scale farmers. The seed market has been her primary battlefield. Large international companies have long been trying to gain control of the seed market. They promote one kind of seed—their seed—as the type that all farmers should use. This practice is called "monoculture." Shiva believes that monoculture is harmful for several reasons. For one, it hurts small farmers because they need to buy the seed from one company. Since there are no other choices, that company can increase its prices whenever it wants. Monoculture can also harm the environment and our food system. For example, what if that one type of seed is weak against changes in the weather? That means climate change could wipe out a whole region's food production.

Shiva is also highly active in the field of intellectual property rights. She has fought against attempts by large corporations to patent certain seeds. Some of these seeds are genetically modified, meaning the corporation altered them in a lab. Others are seeds that have been used for thousands of years by local farmers.

Shiva is a modern-day example of the story of David and Goliath. She will continue to fight for those without a voice, no matter what.