100% Baumwolle: Made in India [100% cotton: made in India]
From its polluted landscapes to its poisoned workers, India is paying a heavy price for Europe’s desire for cheap cotton.
From its polluted landscapes to its poisoned workers, India is paying a heavy price for Europe’s desire for cheap cotton.
This exploration of the deepening crisis of food security in India looks at four case studies, dealing respectively with Punjab, Warangal, Kalahandi, and Bellary. These are interspersed by insights into a movement in the Himalayas that may offer alternatives in the form of sustainable agricultural systems, which revive traditional agricultural practices (Beej Bachao Andolan).
The author seeks to bring together environmental anthropology and history to frame the place of forests in humans’ lives, from a political ecology point of view. He does this by reflecting on his personal experiences in Northeast India, Kenya, and Sweden.