Transcript Vandana Shiva - University of Minnesota Morris

The Non-Sustainability of Monocultures
And
From Bio-Imperialism to Bio-Diversity





In forests and in agriculture
Not tolerant of other systems
Do not grow sustainably
Local knowledge vs. scientific knowledge
Ecologically based vs. economically based

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





Allows sun to heat the soil of the forest
More erosion
Less humidity
Fire
Flooding and drought


Formed in 1952 between the American firm,
International Paper Company and the world’s
largest paper producer, AndreSoriano
Corporation.
Sustainable yields-purely economic term


First run




Short term
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

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




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

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


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







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





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


Precondition for human liberalization
Shift from global knowledge to local

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




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



Currently, economics drives our decisions
A framework of biodiversity needs to drive our
economic thinking, not the other way around
Only consider economic outputs



These three qualities meet in biodiversity and
cannot be found in monocultures
Diversity ensures ecological stability, multidimensional efficiency, multiple livelihoods,
social justice, and efficiency
Biodiversity system


½ calorie produces 1 calorie
Industrial monoculture

10 calories produce 1 calorie



Ecological instability
External control leads to displacement of
livelihoods
Efficiency on a one dimensional scale instead of
multi-dimensional



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




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

The Global South can only be strong if it
supports the democratic rights of its
biodiversity and the diverse cultures that coexist with them.