Rio Conventions Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (13/10/2012) – Dr Vandana Shiva of the Navdanya Research Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology, emphasises the role of women in biodiversity and discusses the unique Indian situation in policy-making.

Shiva emphasises that biodiversity is at the heart of agriculture.

Shiva laments what she describes as the ‘monoculture of the mind’ – the way in which much modern research looks at nature purely from a market perspective, viewing only one commodity as important and undervaluing both people and biodiversity. She argues that this has led to the marginalisation of women and the destruction of biodiversity.

Shiva goes on to discuss Indian society and policy-making, arguing that India’s governance has been impoverished by treating one school of policy-making as appropriate across the whole country.

Shiva argues that, like all other societies, Indian society is patriarchal, but affirms that woman have managed to find themselves significant power within it.