How Vandana Shiva sparked a global movement for seed freedom

Each week, One Earth is proud to feature a Climate Hero from around the globe who is working to create a world where humanity and nature can thrive together.

In 1991, Vandana Shiva created one of India's first community seed banks. Now, with over 150 local agricultural centers across 22 states storing and cultivating native crop species, Shiva is regarded as the “Gandhi of grain.”

Early life and education

Born in Dehradun near the Himalayan foothills, Shiva grew up close to forests and farms. Her father was a conservator of forests and her mother was a farmer who loved nature. She studied physics at Panjab University in Chandigarh, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1972. She then moved to Canada, earning a master’s degree in philosophy of science at the University of Guelph in 1977 and a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Western Ontario in 1978, focusing on the philosophy of physics.

From research to grassroots action

After her studies, Shiva founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology (RFSTE) in 1982 to work on interconnected issues of biodiversity conservation and protecting people’s rights. This work led to Navdanya, a national movement to protect native seeds, promote organic farming, and support fair trade. In 2004 she started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley in collaboration with Schumacher College.

Navdanya and seed freedom

Navdanya, meaning “Nine Seeds” or “New Gift,” is women-centric and farmer-led, educating growers on regional heirloom plants and climate-resilient foods. So far, 2 million farmers have converted to organic farming in different parts of the country, and the initiative has scaled to 150 community seed banks. The project has conserved 3,000 varieties of rice, 740 varieties of paddy, 215 varieties of wheat, 130 varieties of rajma, 97 varieties of pulses, 58 varieties of spices, 48 varieties of medicinal plants, and 46 varieties of basmati, among many others.

Shiva supports seed freedom, the rejection of patents on new plant lines or cultivars, and has campaigned against the expansion of patents on life through international trade agreements. Her team has challenged biopiracy cases involving neem, basmati, and wheat, and Navdanya established seed banks across India to help communities maintain diverse agriculture.

Ecofeminism and women’s leadership

A leading voice in ecofeminism, Shiva writes that sustainable and productive agriculture can be achieved by centering women’s knowledge and participation. Her first book, Staying Alive (1988), helped shift global perceptions of women in economically developing countries and highlighted their role as caregivers and stewards of nature.

“We are either going to have a future where women lead the way to make peace with the Earth, or we are not going to have a human future at all.”

Publications and recognition

Based in Delhi, Shiva is an environmental activist, scholar, and author who has written more than 20 books. Her publications include The Violence of the Green Revolution, Monocultures of the Mind, Water Wars, Soil Not Oil, Making Peace with the Earth, and Who Really Feeds the World. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993 and was recognized as an Environmental Hero by TIME Magazine in 2003. Other honors in your notes include the Sydney Peace Prize and the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize, and she was named to the BBC 100 Women list.

A living movement

What began as a call to protect seeds has become a global movement for ecological balance and food sovereignty. Vandana Shiva’s work continues to inspire farmers, women, and changemakers to nurture the Earth and defend the right to grow, share, and thrive.

“When we grow food in accordance with ecological laws, we regenerate the Earth, her soil and biodiversity, her climate system.”