Dr. Vandana Shiva to Visit Hawai'i in January 15-17, 2013

The Internationally-Renowned Advocate of Food Justice Brings the Message “Seed Freedom is Food Freedom” to Local Audiences
 
(Honolulu, Hawai‘i). Local food and sustainable agriculture enthusiasts are preparing for a highly anticipated visit from the internationally acclaimed activist and sustainable farming advocate Dr. Vandana Shiva. From January 15-17, Dr. Shiva will speak to legislators, students, Agricultural specialists and community members on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i about food justice and sustainable agriculture—issues that are gathering momentum as Hawai‘i attempts to address the question of its growing food insecurity.
 
The theme of Dr. Shiva’s presentation—“Seed Freedom is Food Freedom”—refers to the importance of preserving biological diversity and intellectual democracy in agricultural policy. Her work has been informed by the experience of traditional farmers in India who have lost their livelihoods due to industrial agriculture and biotechnology.
 
“Dr. Shiva is coming to Hawai‘i because our islands are currently the world’s most significant center of biotechnology seed experiments,” says Jeri DiPietro, president of Hawai‘i SEED and one of the tour’s organizers. “A significant portion of our state’s agricultural lands are currently used by seed companies to produce an inedible product that is shipped off island, rather than contributing to a local farming economy.”
 
Di Pietro adds that Dr. Shiva will visit Kaua‘i because it is the island with the largest acreage of genetically engineered agriculture in the state (approximately 13,000 acres). “Dr. Shiva will speak with the island’s West Side residents, many of whom are impacted by chemicals and agricultural dust drift. Currently there is not enough oversight and very little understanding about field experiments and the chemical pesticides and herbicides being used. People living close to the fields are suffering chronic exposure and poor health; many children on the West Side have asthma and many adults are experiencing adult onset asthma. We are also seeing a very high and unexplained rate of cancer in the areas near fields used for seed testing.”
 
Dr. Shiva and special guest Andrew Kimbrell will be speaking in Honolulu at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and in Kapolei, and in Lihue on Kaua‘i. “We hope that Dr. Shiva’s expertise in sustainable farming can help to transition our islands into cleaner, more productive local land use,” says Di Pietro. Dr. Shiva’s visit is organized by the local nonprofit Hawai‘i SEED, in collaboration with the Center for Food Safety and The Ceres Trust

Schedule of Events*
Tues. Jan. 15
10:00am Legislative Briefing at the State Capitol
Invite your elected officials to attend this legislative briefing!

5:00pm Dinner, UH Manoa Campus Center Ballroom
6:00pm Presentation
 
Wed. Jan. 16
8:30-9:30am Heleku March from University of Hawai‘i to Capitol
9:30am "We the People" Rally State Capitol Rotunda
7:00pm Presentation Salvation Army Ray Kroc Center, Kapolei
 
Thurs. Jan. 17
5:00pm Seed Giveaway, Kaua'i Memorial Convention Hall, Lihue
6:00pm Presentation with Andrew Kimbrell and Walter Ritte
 
*all are free and open to the public

If you are interested in helping poster and hand out invitations at farmers markets please phone Mikey at 808-651-9603.

For more information please visit hawaiiseed.org or on Kaua`i phone Jeri at 808 651 1332 or Mikey at 808 651 9603, on Oahu phone Mary at 808 652 5286.

About the Speakers
 
Dr. Vandana Shiva is an Indian philosopher, environmental activist, author and eco-feminist who is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization. She has argued for the wisdom of many traditional practices and fought for changes in the practice and paradigms of agriculture and food. Intellectual property rights, biodiversity, biotechnology, bioethics, genetic engineering are among the fields where Shiva has contributed intellectually and through activist campaigns.

She has assisted grassroots organizations of the Green movement in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria with campaigns against genetic engineering.

Dr. Shiva was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”) in 1993. Other awards she has received include the Global 500 Award of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1993, and the Earth Day International Award of the United Nations (UN) for her commitment to the preservation of the planet.

She has been featured in a number of acclaimed documentaries on agriculture and food such as “One Water,” “Deconstructing Supper: Is Your Food Safe?,” “The Corporation,” “Thrive,” “Dirt! The Movie” among others.
 

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) and also executive director of the Center for Food Safety. He is one of the country’s leading environmental attorneys, and an author of numerous articles and books on environment, technology and society, and food issues. Mr. Kimbrell's current work emphasizes policy and grassroots work on food issues including including defending organic alfalfa and beet farmers from seed contamination and opposing destructive practices such as genetic engineering, factory farming, irradiation and the patenting of seeds and other life forms.

He has been featured in many documentaries including the seminal film "The Future of Food" and has testified before numerous congressional and regulatory hearings. In 1994, the Utne Reader named Kimbrell as one of the world's leading 100 visionaries.

Contact:     Amanda Shaw

(808) 429-5310, amanda.shaw@gmail.com