Vandana Shiva is in my kitchen today, sharing her thoughts on
organic food, the differences in food between cultures, and her hands-on
approach to getting her news.

Vandana Shiva is an internationally known scientist, environmental activist, and author from India.

Why is living organic important to you?

By going organic, you avoid genetically modified food. I’ve had
letters from Chinese scientists at the peak of the SARS epidemic who
said the problem is a hybridization between the viruses planted into GMO
feed, which is then fed to animals, then the virus jumped from the
animals to humans. We’re going to see more and more of these kinds of
risks. I think the whole issue of the H1N1 virus was the fact that it
had genes for three influenza types–human, chicken, pig. All of these
crossings are becoming possible because of the crossing of genes across
species barriers.

In the U.S., because the main crops genetically modified are soy and
corn, I think the best way to avoid them is to avoid processed food. I
think there are such delicious alternatives; people should promote local
markets and organic food, that’s where you can ensure you’re not being
imposed with a GM diet.

What was your favorite food growing up?

My favorite food growing up and still is kichdi. It’s this amazing
Indian dish that is both the laziest dish and sort of the sacred dish.
And it’s also the most healthy dish; it’s given when you’re ill. It’s a
mix of rices and spices, especially lentils and any vegetable you can
put into it. It’s a holistic meal in one. And with a bit of yogurt, it’s
wonderful.

What’s your go-to comfort food now?

It still is kichdi, because no matter the situation, if I have a
kichdi I’m happy. If I’m ill and I get it, I’m happy; if there’s no
time, you can easily put it all together and I’m happy. My sister makes
the best kichdi. We live together. There’s a beautiful harvest festival
in South and North India. Although they’re very different kinds of
harvest festivals, the symbolization of a good harvest is an overflowing
pot of kichdi.