Globalization, Women and Agriculture

Much of the Third World is being recolonized under the rubric of free trade. You can’t miss the KFCs, Pizza Huts and McDonald’s. But there is more to it than that. Multinationals like Monsanto and Cargill have penetrated the agricultural sector. They promise green revolutions and greater yields. As chemical inputs increase, monocultures replace biodiverse crops. In India, farmers are fighting back corporate attempts to patent seeds and herbs. Women are central in the struggle to protect traditional agriculture. They are the seed keepers.