Scientist, philosopher, feminist, author, environmentalist, activist, Dr. Vandana Shiva is a one-woman movement for peace, sustainability and social justice. Dr. Shiva is the director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy in Dehra Dun. She is also the founder of Navdanya foundation. Kanchan Banerjee chats with the green revolutionist
Dr. Shiva was born in 1952 in Uttarakhand, India. Her father was a conservator of forests, and her mother was a farmer with a deep love for nature. Her parents were staunch supporters of Mahatma Gandhi, and Gandhi remains a profound influence on her thought. She is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including the 1998 Alfonso Comin award and the 1993 Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize. David Brower, the late environmentalist, once said that Shiva would be his choice for world president, if there were such a thing.
1. Sixty Seven years of Indian Independence – what does it mean to you? Do you think India is in the right track? What are the things India must work on?
India is totally on the wrong track, specially in its policies of the last two decades. Look at the polarisation between rich and poor, between communities. Look at the disasters, including the Uttarakhand disaster, the country has lost a vision of freedom and that is what it must now rework upon.
2. Is rampant corruption seen in India and other developing countries ever going to change? How?
Rampant corruption comes from transferring sectors of the economy for profiteering. For this kickbacks are given. An example is the rampant construction of dams and hydroelectric projects in the Himalaya. Construction companies get contracts through corruption; they destroy the lives of local communities and fragile ecosystems. They are protected by politicians whom they paid, and the vicious cycle expands. The alternative is to bring management of natural resources under local community control. This is what I call earth democracy based on living democracy and living economies
3. You are synonymous to the war against the monopoly and manipulation of the food chain and ecology by powerful corporations and other agencies. Are you winning?
Morally, democratically, scientifically, intellectually-yes, the ecological alternative is winning in establishing that ecological agriculture produces more food and nutrition than industrial GMO based agriculture. If these sustainable alternatives are not more commonplace it is because the corporations corrupt governments, have used the military intelligence to spy on scientists and activists, and manipulate the media for false messages. For me this is a satyagraha, a fight for truth in the face of brute force and lies.
4. What are the key battle fronts you have before you now?
Relief and rehabilitation in Uttarakhand is the most urgent. (see my article on Uttarakhand) in last edition of NGI.
Saving seeds and exposing corruption in the seed sector is second. Working to grow more food ecologically is the third food security cannot be based on destroying our land and our farmers, and expecting food to drop from heaven.
5. What can social and political leaders do?
Serve the people, remember that democracy is for the people, of the people, by the people, not for the corporations, by the corporations, of the corporations.
6. GMO food – are there scientific evidences that would harm peoples and planets health?
Yes there is lots of evidence. Every independent scientific study has shown harm, the fact that the independent scientists are hounded by the genetic engineering mafia does not remove the harm. Silencing the messenger is an even bigger risk. Look at the work of Dr Arpad Putzai, Eric Seralini, Irene Ernakova,
7. Are you opposed to the idea of genetic engineering of plants and animals altogether?
The crude genetic engineering of putting toxic traits like bt toxin and round up resistance have no role in improving agriculture and food. If in the future there is a more sophisticated application, I will assess and decide.
8. If yes: Farmers foragers for millennia (including the farmers in India and Egypt) have cross germinated plants and animals. Though they did not play directly with genes, they actually have altered, perhaps without knowing the outcome. Now the scientists today are doing it consciously, in a controlled manner. What is the difference? Why one should worry about genetically engineered plants or animals?
Farmers breeding were not done in ignorance. Farmers breeding rice for salt tolerance along the coast know they were breeding for salt tolerance. That is why their salt tolerant varieties are called ‘lunbakada’and kalambank.navdanya distributed these after the Orissa super-cyclone and after the tsunami.
Transformation through genetic engineering is in fact a totally unreliable, unpredictable technology. That is why anti biotic resistance markers have to be used. That is why viral promoters have to be used. That is why instead of controlling pests Bt crops have created superpests, and instead of creating weeds, roundup ready crops have created superweeds see our report the GMO emperor has no clothes on the Navdanya website.
9. Are you against various ‘benevolent’ GM Crops, which are not controlled by big corporations? For example genetically modified ‘yellow rice’ which has Vitamin A that can help thousands of children worldwide from going blind?
I am against a wasteful, ignorant, approach to malnutrition which creates patent monopolies, and is 3000% less efficient than biodiversity alternatives which can be grown and spread through women’s empowerments. For me anything connected to patent monopolies in the area of seed and food is not benevolent. Golden rice has 80 patents. Dale who is promoting GMO bananas has nine patents.
10. If no: then what are your thoughts on how to use technology to help humanity, especially in the field of food and nutrition?
We must be guided by the best of science, not obsolete science. Genetic engineering is based on an obsolete science of mechanistic genetic determinism. New science like agro-ecology and epigenetics must guide the future to serve humanity and the earth.
11. If you are not against the science & technology then are you against the monopoly and manipulation by the rich and powerful organizations and forces around the world?
I am a quantum theorist, and a scientist. I am against bad science that promotes monopolies.
12. What about the idea of so-called ‘open source’ genetic engineering where scientists and researcher from anywhere can experiment and ‘engineer’ new species which are controlled and regulated by laws? (thus keeping the Dow and Monsantos of the world at bay).
It is like creating your own bombs in your basement. It does not take away the violence from the bomb.
13. Has Indian government surrendered to the big corporations such as Monsanto?
It tries but we are on the alert. The government tried to hand over the seed sector to Monsanto in Rajasthan. I did a seed yatra on quit India day and we had the m cancelled. The government tried to push GMO bt baigan. We have a moratorium on it. The government is now trying to push the India Monsanto protection act. We are working from the parliament to the streets to stop it.
14. Will GMO become norm of life? How long before we accept it as reality?
It is still just in a few countries and few crops. Most countries and crops are GMO free.
15. You meditate and you are a Yogi in true sense. How much of your spiritual living and how much of your common sense influence your work?
To deal with such big and brute power you need inner resilience.
16. How can an ordinary citizen act to protect against multi-national greed since the globe seems to be moving towards a Wal Mart model?
By crwating local economies, supporting local farmers, joining the seed freedom movement www.navdanya.org and wwwseedfreedom.in
17. Do you envision a 3rd world war based on food and energy or even ‘clashes of civilizations’?
It is already happening.
18. For a moment, let us assume and imagine a future where, due to greed and irresponsible behavior of people, in a few centuries we have destroyed our eco system – air, water and soil and plants are not sustainable any more. Can this happen? Will it happen? If so, can we be ready to depend on our labs to create and factories or machines to supply our carbohydrate, protein, calories and nutrition? What about the ‘prana’ as yoga or ayurveda would argue?
It will not be a few centuries if we do not strengthen alternatives. It will be a few decades.
19. The way the technology is advancing some of the prediction of people like Robert Kurzweil may become true. In addition even spiritualist Sri Arurbindo predicted that some day in future we may not have to use our alimentary system for our energy and nutrition and the reproductive system for progeny? What’s wrong in this idea that technology should reduce burden of humans from creaturely activities since they would have more time to spend on creativity than survival and physical needs?
We are part of the earth. Working is our service to the earth.
20. What is your vision of a safe world of tomorrow.
Gardens everywhere.
21. What are the top action items the leaders and citizens alike must adhere to and act on to fulfill your dream of a safe yet progressing future world?
Reconnect to the earth and our inner power. Become earth citizens. Do not bow down before fear mongers and empire builders.
