Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva was born on November 5, 1952, in Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India. She earned a master's degree in the philosophy of science from Guelph University in 1976 and a doctorate from the University of Western Ontario in 1978 with her thesis on quantum theory. She later shifted to interdisciplinary research in science, technology, and environmental policy at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

In 1982, Shiva founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy (RFSTE), devoted to developing sustainable agricultural methods. In 1991, she launched Navdanya—meaning "Nine Seeds"—which combated monoculture practices by establishing over 40 seed banks across India. She is best known for her critique of Asia's Green Revolution, arguing that it caused pollution, loss of indigenous seed diversity, eroded traditional agricultural knowledge, and created harmful dependence on costly chemicals for poor farmers.

Shiva participated in the Chipko movement during the 1970s, a nonviolent environmental movement led primarily by women. She has authored more than 20 books on topics including the Green Revolution's negative effects and ecofeminism. Her recognition includes the 1993 Right Livelihood Award, the UN Global 500 Award, and an Earth Day International Award.