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Vandana Shiva

Vandana Shiva. The Non-Sustainability of Monocultures And From Bio-Imperialism to Bio-Diversity. Monocultures. In forests and in agriculture Not tolerant of other systems Do not grow sustainably Local knowledge vs. scientific knowledge Ecologically based vs. economically based.

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Vandana Shiva

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  1. Vandana Shiva The Non-Sustainability of Monocultures And From Bio-Imperialism to Bio-Diversity

  2. Monocultures • In forests and in agriculture • Not tolerant of other systems • Do not grow sustainably • Local knowledge vs. scientific knowledge • Ecologically based vs. economically based

  3. Effects of Centralized Market and Industry • Decides what a “normal forest” should look like • Non-marketable components of a forest are seen as abnormal and destroyed in favor of marketable components • Ignores the food, fodder and water production capacities of the forest

  4. Uniform Forests • Allows sun to heat the soil of the forest • More erosion • Less humidity • Fire • Flooding and drought

  5. PICOP • Formed in 1952 between the American firm, International Paper Company and the world’s largest paper producer, AndreSoriano Corporation. • Sustainable yields-purely economic term • Short term • First run • Takes 10% of the wood from per acre • Allowed to take trees with a diameter of 32 in. or more • Gets about 73 cubic yards • Second run • Allowed to take trees with a diameter of 24 in. or more • Get about 32 cubic yards from same acre

  6. This is supposed to be a sustainable system. But here, although they use the term selective logging, there is only one harvest. A big one. After that, no more. • Angel Ancala, Biology Professor, Siliman University, Philippines

  7. Some Stats. • 14% of logging area cleared for roads • 27% cleared for skid loaders • In an acre averaging 58 trees, 10 will be taken. However, 13 more trees will be damaged in the process • Other studies suggest that these averages are very conservative

  8. Case Study:Brazil • Facility of Forestry Science funded project • Greater knowledge of modern science and economics led decisions • Biodiversity replaced by monoculture • People working with trees replaced by machines • 20 years later • Afforestation has dropped from 40% to 8% • Population gone

  9. Eucalyptus Protests • People began to protest the planting of eucalyptus due to its destruction of water, soil and habitat • 1983- peasants in Karnataka • Took out seedlings and replanted mango and tamarind trees • 1988- peasants in Thailand • Burned down the plantation

  10. Destruction of Variety in Agriculture • Introduction of “miracle seeds” during the Green Revolution • Aren’t adapted to local habitat • Not resistant to pests leads to more pesticides • Takes nurturance from the soil • Demands intensive irrigation, which leads to desertification • Nurturance cycle of soil turned into a linear line, fueled by chemical factories • Nitrogen based fertilizers lead to nitrous oxide to be released into the atmosphere

  11. Crisis of Dominant Knowledge • Inherently fragmented and colonizing • Wedded to the economy • Political implications that ruin local communities • Exclusively for a few elite • It is the monoculture of the mind

  12. Democratizing of Knowledge • Precondition for human liberalization • Shift from global knowledge to local

  13. From Bio-Imperialism to Bio-Democracy • To conserve biodiversity, we need to stop and reverse its primary threats • Stop aid and incentives for large scale destruction • Therefore, stop funding on a global level, such as international aid and financing • Stop the dominant pattern of development that has no regard for nature

  14. Value of Biodiversity • All forms of life have an intrinsic right to live • Cultural value • Recognize that money has a very limited scope and value • Farmer and indigenous knowledge of biodiversity should be highly valued, not seen as primitive

  15. What Drives our Actions? • Currently, economics drives our decisions • A framework of biodiversity needs to drive our economic thinking, not the other way around • Only consider economic outputs

  16. Ecology, Equity and Efficiency • These three qualities meet in biodiversity and cannot be found in monocultures • Diversity ensures ecological stability, multi-dimensional efficiency, multiple livelihoods, social justice, and efficiency • Biodiversity system • ½ calorie produces 1 calorie • Industrial monoculture • 10 calories produce 1 calorie

  17. Uniformity • Ecological instability • External control leads to displacement of livelihoods • Efficiency on a one dimensional scale instead of multi-dimensional

  18. Who Controls Biodiversity? • Historically, local communities maintained biodiversity • Now, the Global North patents, repackages and sells biodiversity that once belonged communally to the Global South • This system is perpetuated by GATT, The World Bank and US Trade Act

  19. Biodemocracy • This bio-imperialism needs to be replaced by biodemocracy • Recognizes the inherent right of all living things to live • Recognizes rights of local communities to the biodiversity they have evolved with • Entails that nation states have a duty to protect these rights from corporations and globalization

  20. The Global South can only be strong if it supports the democratic rights of its biodiversity and the diverse cultures that co-exist with them.

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