[E&E seminars] MIT Seminar on Environmental and Agricultural History, November 18, 2011

[Margo Collett]

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 mcollett at mit.edu. 



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