Corporations Quote by Vandana Shiva
“Every farmer must go to the seed industry every year to buy their seed and pay an 80 percent royalty to a corporation. Over-the-fence exchanges have started to be treated as crimes. Or, if you need a biological pest control, you can no longer use the need seed in your back yard. Instead you have to depend on the Grace Corporation or some other entity. That kind of dependency basically leads to increased poverty and increased ecological destruction.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva, 2000
The quote critiques corporate control over seeds, arguing it creates farmer dependency, raises costs, and harms ecosystems, leading to poverty and environmental damage.
In simple terms: Corporate seed control harms farmers and ecosystems.
Key Takeaway
Support seed sovereignty and local exchange.
Themes
agriculture
economics
environment
power
dependency
Mood
concerned
critical
urgent
Type
political
environmental
When to use this quote
- farmers negotiating seed purchases
- community seed swaps
- policy advocacy against seed patents
- urban gardening with heirloom varieties
- educational workshops on seed saving
Key Concepts
intellectual property
biopiracy
food sovereignty
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities protect seed diversity?
- What policies could balance innovation with farmer rights?
A Different Perspective
Corporate seed patents can spur innovation and fund research, which the quote overlooks.
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