Ecofeminism and Development

Shiva connects ecological degradation with economic systems that undervalue subsistence work and women’s knowledge. Her counter-development perspective emphasizes grassroots networks, biodiversity, and the agency of small farmers and marginalized communities.

This framework has made her influential in global environmental movements and controversial in debates over biotechnology and agricultural modernization. A balanced account recognizes both the scale of Navdanya’s conservation work and the need to evaluate specific empirical claims independently.