Vandana Shiva was born in the valley of Dehradun, to a father who was the conservator of forests and a farmer mother with a love for nature. She was educated at St Mary's School in Nainital, and at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun. Shiva was trained as a gymnast and after receiving her bachelors in Physics, she pursued a M.A. in the Philosophy of Science at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada), with a thesis entitled "Changes in the concept of periodicity of light". In 1979, she completed and received her Ph.D. at the University of Western Ontario. Her thesis was titled "Hidden Variables and locality in Quantum Theory".She later went on to interdisciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy, at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.

Vandana Shiva has 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.In 1982, she founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, which led to the creation of Navdanya.Her book, "Staying Alive" helped redefine perceptions of third world women.Shiva has also served as an adviser to governments in India and abroad as well as non governmental organisations, including the International Forum on Globalization, the Women's Environment & Development Organization and the Third World Network.

Vandana Shiva participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions project in 2007.

She is a councilor of the World Future Council.

Vandana is interviewed in the international documentary *One Water , directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee and Ali Habashi.(http://www.onewaterthemovie.org/). "One Water," an award-winning documentary about the world’s changing relationship to water, was filmed in 15 countries and produced at the University of Miami as a collaboration among the School of Communication, College of Engineering and the Frost School of Music.

Vandana stars in the feature documentary World Water Wars by Sam Bozzo.

Vandana is featured in Irena Salina's documentary For Love of Water that was in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Vandana is featured in the documentary Dirt! The Movie that was in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

She is featured in the documentary The Corporation protesting against large corporations as a seed activist, and she is also featured in the documentary "Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Alternatives."

Recently, she has been featured in the documentary The World According to Monsanto, a film made by a French independent journalist Marie-Monique Robin.

Vandana is also featured in the feature documentary film about the Dalai Lama, entitled Dalai Lama Renaissance.

Vandana is featured on the PBS NOW documentary entitled On Thin Ice.

Dr. Shiva is also in the film This is What Democracy Looks Like, a documentary about the Seattle WTO protests of 1999.

In 1993, Vandana received the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize') "...For placing women and ecology at the heart of modern development discourse." 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 dedicated commitment to the preservation of the planet as demonstrated by her actions, leadership and by setting an example for the rest of the world.

Additional awards include:

• 1993: Order of the Golden Ark, by his Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for outstanding services to conservation and ecology;VIDA SANA International Award, Spain, for her contribution to Ecology and Food Security
• 1995: "Pride of the Doon" Award from Doon Citizen Council, Dehra Dun, India, in recognition of distinguished contributions to the region
• 1997: The Golden Plant Award (International Award of Ecology), Denmark, for the remarkable contribution for Ecology and Environment; Alfonso Comin Award, Barcelona, Spain, for important contribution both scientifically and personally to the ecologist and feminist movement in India
• 1998: Commemorative Medal by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand on the occasion of the Celebration of the 18th World Food Day, organised by FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok; Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic from the International Scientific Committee of the Pio Manzu Centre at Rimini, Italy during the XXIV Pio Manzu International Conference on "The Horizons of Hermes"
• 2000: Pellegrino Artusi Award, Italy for original contribution to reflections on relations between humans and food
• 2001: HORIZON 3000 Award of Austria in recognition to rendering useful service for defending Human Rights and Preservation of Peace and for the vision of a world wide fair development in the third millennium
• 2009: received the Save The World Award
• 2010: received the Sydney Peace Prize

Vandana Shiva plays a major role in the global Ecofeminist movement. According to her article Empowering Women, Shiva suggests that a more sustainable and productive approach to agriculture can be achieved through reinstating a system of farming in India that is more centered around engaging women. She advocates against the prevalent "patriarchal logic of exclusion," claiming that a woman-focused system would change the current system in an extremely positive manner.

In this way, Indian and global food security, can only benefit from a focus on empowering women through integrating them into the agricultural system.