We owe Vandana Shiva a huge debt of gratitude for having been one of the first to explain that modern trade agreements are no longer just about setting tariffs at the borders but rather increasingly global bills of rights that give corporations power over national laws and regulations, all in the name of maximizing their profits.
In this wide ranging Question and Answer exchange she explains the so-called investor – state suits before unaccountable trade tribunals where corporations can sue governments when they feel that their profits are being curtailed by state laws to protect health, safety, labor, the environment or other so-called obstacles to trade.
Shiva gives an update on the status of a global effort to label GMO food and explained in detail why industrial agriculture is war both in methods and outcome. She ends by describing the Seed Freedom movement that was launched by her organization, Navdanya, in collaboration with groups concerned about the corporate movement to make owning and planting of seeds illegal. Vandana Shiva puts out a reminder that the freedom to own and save seed is a human and civil right.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:00 — 19.9MB)
