GRAB - Plant genetic resources in an age of global capitalism

Authors

  • Noah Zerbe Humboldt State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v2i2.117

Keywords:

plant genetic resources, intellectual property

Abstract

Early in the 20th century, a scramble for the world’s genetic resources was sparked by Nikolai Vavilov’s articulation of the geographic centers of origin for major cereals and other crops. European and American governments sent expeditions to remote corners of the world, all in an effort to catalogue and collect the planet’s genetic resources. Trekking through remote forests in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and supported financially by the state, expeditions collected samples that would be used to improve the genetic qualities of maize, soy, and countless other crops, adding millions of dollars in value to domestic agricultural production (Saraiva, 2013).

Author Biography

Noah Zerbe, Humboldt State University

Professor of Politics, Humboldt State University
photo of a doorway with a sandwich board promoting thali, burgers, pita sandwiches, and chicken wings in French

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Published

2015-09-08

How to Cite

Zerbe, N. (2015). GRAB - Plant genetic resources in an age of global capitalism. Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 2(2), 194–200. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v2i2.117

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2015): Special Issue: Mapping the Global Food Landscape

Section

Research Article

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