Vandana Shiva is woman who has inspired millions of people throughout the world through various of her books. Among these books, there a book called Terra Viva. It’s first chapter primarily focuses on how rural communities–despite being disconnected and unaware of modern technology or technological advancements–still possess more knowledge of the environment and its’ requirements then any scientist or modern farmer ever could. She expands on her idea of eco-feminism by outright stating, “The real custodians of biodiversity-related knowledge were women like the ones I had grown up with. It was women who saved the seeds. It was women who farmed. It was women who knew the value of every plant, of every tree, of every forest.”
How a person’s background ultimately shapes their ideology, beliefs and logical deduction in certain cases:
Vandana Shiva begins her book by stating and explaining to the reader how a background with a rich blend of prominent environmental activists, poets and singers along with her eco-conscious parents have shaped her approach towards the environment and the soil as a whole.
As a child, money held no real significance in Vandana’s life. It was the leaves she collected from trees, rocks she found in the forests and knowledge that was passed down to her by her parents that were her real diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
By witnessing environmental activism first-hand through movemnts like the Chipko Mobvemnt and by meeting prominent figures such as Sunderlal Bahaguna, Sri Devi Suman and etc, her holistic apporach towards environmental initiatives was created. Her holistic approach connects ecology with economy, culture, gender, and justice. She also sees nature not as a resource to be controlled, but as a living system to live in harmony with
Early Life and Vandana’s permanent shift towards the Environment:
In her early life, Vandana excelled in her school and became inspired by Einstein’s writings and physics in general. Thus, she decided to pursue physics as she was going to go abroad. However before doing so she visited the Himalaya’s, and her entire perspective had changed. Vandana states, “The trees and forests had disappeared in the insane rush to build barrages and dams.” This trip became the foundation of her shift towards the environment in the upcoming years, as she had witnessed environmental loss first-hand.
As Vandana secured her PHD in Quantum Physics and in the Philosphy of Science, she noticed that science treated the snvironment and nature as a machine that had to be constantly maintained to meet our needs and ensure our survival–not as a living being that we should learn to effectively co exist with.
This inspired Vandana to establish the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) in order to reorient scientific thinking and serve the plant, and not the people solely.
Consequently, Vandana began working with grass-root movements like the Chipko movement and saw how women also worked scientifically in their own way. This was by knwoing the requirements of the soil, the nutrients needed for a land to flourish and how to maintain crops in any situation.And this very realization became the basis and foundation for the establishment of Navdanya which became seed-saving network that has empowered thousands of farmers and created over 150 community seed banks across India.
In the first chapter of Terra Viva, Vandana Shiva invites us into the roots of her identity—formed not just in classrooms, but in the forests of the Himalayas. She shows us how her childhood experiences with nature, her parents’ values, and the women around her all quietly shaped her understanding of the world. But it wasn’t until she stepped away from the rigid lens of academic science and truly looked around her—at the disappearing forests, the changing rivers, and the knowledge women carried—that she began to see the bigger picture. This chapter isn’t just a memory; it’s a realization. A realization that real education isn’t just about theories—it’s about seeing, feeling, and choosing to protect what matters. And for her, that meant the earth, the seeds, the forests… and the women who kept them alive.
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