On Tuesday evening, November 4, I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Vandana Shiva at Wake Forest School of Divinity.  I had not heard of her before but was intrigued by her bio and the work she was doing. Shiva is an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization author. Quickly into her lecture I was impressed with her ministry and honestly did not know that her work existed; working in the service of seed freedom.

I did not know that seeds needed to be freed- but they do! My next question was “What do seeds need to be free from?”  Great question if you do not already know the answer.  Seed keepers and organic producers see the need to free seeds from corporations genetically modifying and patenting them.  Shiva argues that “Seeds are crucial for the life system of our planet.”  She means seeds that have not been genetically polluted with toxins and pesticides and that honors the integrity of creation. The right to food is a birthright.  She encourages the small family farmers to continue their work because it benefits the human race and our earth.  Despite taxation, 70% of food comes from family farms. Small farms benefit the earth by making sure the diversity of agriculture and plants do not disappear.

seeds

The most inspiring quote of the evening was “We have to connect to the earth so that we can understand the damage we have done.”  As the caretakers of God’s creation, doesn’t it just make you want to go out and put your hands in the soil with humility and prayer?

Check out this book for more information: Sacred Seed by Global Peace Initiative of Women, Dr. Vandana Shiva.

Kim Priddy, Associate Pastor – Missions