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I
n 1987, Indian environmental
campaigner Vandana Shiva
launched a movement to protect
native seed diversity in response
to changes in agriculture and food
production. She founded Navdanya,
a nongovernmental organization,
to protect agricultural biodiversity
from the combined threat of genetic
engineering and patents.Agro-biodiversity
Agricultural biodiversity (also known
as agro-biodiversity) has resulted
from the selective breeding, over
thousands of years, of plants and
animals taken from the wild. These
practices led to the extraordinary
genetic diversity of different breeds
of crops and domesticated animals.For example, a grass in the genus
Oryza was first cultivated for rice in
Asia between 8,200 and 13,500 years
ago; today, there are more than
40,000 varieties of this rice in
existence. Intrinsic to agro-
biodiversity are the many non-
harvested species that support
production. These include
microorganisms in the soil, species
that feed on pests, and pollinators.
Through the ages, the skills and
knowledge of millions of farmers
have shaped this biodiversity.Californian rice production is high
yield but there are problems with soil
salinity. Although salt tolerance can be
genetically introduced, traditional rice
varieties can be naturally salt-resistant.IN CONTEXT
KEY FIGURE
Vandana Shiva (1952–)BEFORE
1966 A new high-yielding
strain of rice known as IR8
leads to a big increase in
production in several rice-
growing countries. First
developed in the Philippines,
it is also called “miracle rice.”AFTER
1994 The World Trade
Organization introduces the
Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) agreement.2004 After protests by farmers
who developed the crop, the
Monsanto company’s patent
on an Indian strain of wheat
known as Nap Hal is revoked.2012 Indian initiative
Navdanya International
launches its worldwide Seed
Freedom campaign to protect
food sovereignty and safety.MONOCULTURES AND
MONOPOLIES ARE
DESTROYING THE
HARVEST OF SEED
SEED DIVERSITY
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