MIT Seminar on Environmental and Agricultural History
William Beinart
African Studies Centre, University of Oxford
Plant Transfers, Bio-invasions, and Biodiversity: An African Historical
Perspective
Plant transfers have been central to world history -- not least that of the
European empires of the last 500 years. From the vantage point of Africa,
Alfred Crosby's discussion of asymmetrical plant exchange ("ecological
imperialism") is problematic. The most important flow of plants was against
the routes of power: Africans welcomed many American plants, including useful
invaders and weeds, as well as crops. The talk will focus on two species that
are seen as bio-invaders in South Africa, prickly pear (from the Americas) and
black wattle (from Australia). But these designations are complicated by the
economic and cultural values attached to "alien" or introduced plants. Can we
introduce a social and historical dimension to the debate, and explore the idea
of bio-cultural diversity?
Friday, November 18, 2011
2:30 to 4:30 pm
Building E51 Room 095
Corner of Wadsworth and Amherst Streets, Cambridge
Sponsored by MIT’s History Faculty and the Program in Science, Technology, and
Society. For more information or to be put on the mailing list contact
[email protected].
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