Showing how Western powers, following in the footsteps of Columbus, are using patenting and genetic engineering to re-colonize the Third World and even attempting to colonize life itself, Vandana Shiva argues that we must struggle to protect biological and cultural diversity.

Vandana Shiva shows how Western powers, following in the footsteps of Columbus, are using patenting and genetic engineering to re-colonize the Third World. Denying the value of indigenous knowledge developed over many generations, the West is attempting to colonize life itself. She argues that we must struggle to protect biological and cultural diversity, and that this will best be brought about by our developing and supporting self-organized communities based on decentralization, local democratic control of resources, social justice and peace.