Women's Indiginous Knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation

Summary of Selection 41

Gender and diversity are linked. Traditionally in society there is a hierarchy system with men on top. Women and the environment are lower/inferior, without intrinsic value. Diversity is lost due to this hierarchy system, leading to the formation of monocultures, uniformity, and homogeneity. Diversity is the basis of women's politics, and the politics of ecology. This is part of the reason why women are so important in environmental issues.

Economies of 3rd world countries traditionally have sustainable lifestyles which maintain biodiversity while meeting their own needs. But there is a general misconception that diversity based production systems have low productivity. This may be true only in a linear, one- dimensional, short term sense, and only for those who have the economic, commercial interests as their priority. Crop uniformity reduces diversity and reduces the labour required to grow food. Labour displacement is actually unproductive because it leads to poverty.

Women's work and knowledge is central to societal systems and agriculture. They have multiple tasks of great volume (usually not paid) which include farming, housework, raising children, cooking, outside work such as gathering and hunting and much much more. Their work is usually discounted by economists and statisticians. Gender bias has also allowed women's work to become invisible. Time allocation studies are more accurate and give them proper credit. Women have complex knowledge and physical strength and skills. They are used in many different areas related to the environment, including the production and preparation of plant foods, in the dairy industry, and even forestry (use of biomass for food/fertilizer). It can be said that women's work links the 'sectors' of agriculture.

Diversity is produced and conserved through the reproduction and conservation of culture. Village women are integral in the festivals and rituals during which tests for seed selection and propagation are performed. 3rd world women produce through biodiversity. Corporate scientists produce through uniformity. They breed seeds that cannot reproduce so farmers cannot save their seed to plant the next year. They also patent their hybrid and/or GMO seeds, which puts further restrictions on seed-saving, since the companies claim intellectual property rights. But their claim that they 'create' life is unjustified. This is also because nature and 3rd world countries 'made' the seed first!

Genetically engineered food is advertised as safe in North America. But there are risks whether or not people are aware of them. They include:
-toxicants added
-decreased nutritional quality
-organisms composition is altered
-proteins are added which could cause allergic reactions
-decreased effectiveness of antibiotics for humans because of antibiotic genes added to food
-deletion of genes may cause side effects we can't anticipate or even dream of
We shouldn't trust pesticide producing companies either (such as Monsanto). Remember, wolves can't turn into green sheep!