Her
father was a forest conservationist and her mother farmed the land. Vandana Shiva
spent her childhood in a small village in the Himalayan mountains and gained an
intense love of nature at an early age. At school she was an outstanding student,
developed an interest in science and went on to graduate degrees in physics. Combining
her devotion to the natural world with her knowledge of physics, Dr. Shiva became
interested in the impact that modern technology has had on the environment. Out
of concern for the conservation of biodiversity, she established the Research
Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology and also founded Navdanya, a program
to protect the diversity of native seeds. Since the early eighties, she has spent
her time, research, and activism on these issues, publishing thirteen books and
many academic papers, and traveling worldwide. In the past number of years, she
has begun to speak out strongly against genetically engineered foods as well.
In 1993 she was awarded the Earth Day International Award and received the International
Award of Ecology in 1997. Most recently, she formed Bija Vidyapeeth in her hometown
of Dehradun, India, to promote holistic living.
Bio
© Larry Auld
