Processes Of Transforming Nature Into Commodities

Processes Of Transforming Nature Into Commodities

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Processes Of Transforming Nature Into Commodities

Topic: Coffee, labor, climate

Paper details: The development of capitalism depends on the processes of transforming nature into commodities to produce and trade. This process can have profound political, economic, social and ecological implications. Tea was a traditional drink in Asia with countless varieties defined by local microclimate and consumption patterns, but it was made into a standard commodity to trade around the world with the brand name such as Lipton. Wars and revolutions were fought over tea with great social/environmental consequences. Banana, also originated in tropical Asia with many varieties, was transformed into a single genetically modified variety-Cavendish for all American and most of the world’s consumers. Banana plantations transformed the Caribbean landscape and had been the backbone economy of many islands. Bananas led to civil wars and dictator regimes in numerous countries and gave rise to some of the largest global multinational corporations. Sugar, used to be an expensive condiment for an elite diet, became the common commodity and the basis of the colonial economies in many parts of the New World, as well as far off islands from Hawaii to Mauritius. There are many such examples: coffee, cotton, rubber, corn, oil, or nowadays even carbon. More commodities are being made daily with new technology such as Lithium (Koerner) which powered the battery for electronic cars. Cronon (1992, 266) said in his book Nature’s Metropolis in the transformation of Midwest USA: “Bisons and pine trees had once been members of ecosystems defined mainly flows of energy and nutrients and by relations among neighboring organisms. Rearrayed within the second nature of the market, they become commodities: things priced, bought, and sold within a system of human exchange. From that exchange flowed many others. Sudden new imperatives revalued the organisms that lived upon the land. Some, like the bison, bluestem, and pine tree, were priced so low that people consumed them in the most profligate ways and they disappeared, as significant elements of the regional landscape. Others, like wheat, corn cattle, and pigs, became the new dominant species of their carefully tended ecosystem, increasingly the abundance of species depended on its utility to the human economy: species thrived more by price than by direct ecological adaption. New system of value, radically different from their Indian predecessors, determined the fate of the entire ecosystem.” These efforts of transforming nature are the primary practice of capitalistic conquest of the natural world. As those natural product become commodities, Castree (1997) argues that they went through a capitalist production process and metabolized into “second nature” (p.2). Neil Smith (1984) called it “the production of nature:” “Nature is generally seen as precisely that which cannot be produced; it is an antithesis of human productive activity…. But with the progress of capital accumulation and the expansion of economic development, this material substratum is more and more the product of social production, and the dominant axes of differentiation are increasingly societal in origin.” (p. 368). Huber uses the term a “system of provision”-technology, culture and political-economic arrangement (p. xix) that make oil the central fuel for the American Way of Life. Interestingly, as consumers, we are often kept in the dark or are made to be oblivious to the process of manufacturing of such natural product, and the implications of its production and consumption. In this project, you will choose a commodity and write an essay to tell its story and explore the multiple implications of the production of nature. The format may vary, but keep in mind that you need to address the changes of several sets of social relationships surrounding this commodity, and link it with theoretical concept of production of nature as explained by Coe’s chapter. If nature is produced, then the questions become how it is produced and who controlled the process, or “system of provision” and why. The followings are some of the key aspects that you should address, but you do not have to address them separately nor in the following order. Depending on the commodity you choose, you may also emphasize one aspect of such commodities, and give a brief explanation of other aspects. 1. Relationship to nature: how does commodity A differ from A in a natural state? What have been the changes in the physical attributes of this product in order for it to become a commodity? What functions were lost and what functions were gained? What are the specific historical and geographical contexts for its transformation? 2. Technology: what types of technology are needed to enable the transformation, including producing, processing and distribution? Who controls the technology? What are the environmental implications? 3. What types of economic organizations are needed to carry out the production and distribution of such commodity: large corporations or small decentralized establishments? Is the government important? What about multinational organizations? 4. What are some of the power relations among different social groups implicated in the production and consumption of this commodity? labor, ownership, people in developed countries and developing countries, producers and consumers? 5. Remember, all of above are not static, but are made and remade in historical process. How have such processes unfold, who have been the chief agents and how the historical circumstance gave rise to such changes. For any commodity, there is plenty you can write, but there are keys to making a good paper. The following are expectations; 1) Link your story with theoretical arguments outlined above. Please refer to at least one of the readings either in class or in the reference of this paper or work cited above. You need to base your arguments on such readings by substantiating the key points and/or offer criticism. 2) Provide support for your statements. No matter how strong your positions are, you are writing to convince others who may not intend to agree with you or do not have your knowledge. You should try to find evidence both from qualitative and quantitative information. 3) Insert one or more table/chart to summarize your quantitative information, if any. If you discuss changes in price or volume of production, it would be the easiest for others to understand if you put them into a table or chart, rather than just list them in the text (FAO datasite). Table(s) is useful for quantitative information, but can also be useful for qualitative ones (eg. our table for world economy). Try to include at least one table in this paper. 4) Do not overgeneralize beyond what you can prove. Economic geography emphasizes the variation of the contexts. It would be useful to point out the specific countries or regions that your findings are true and try not to make an unwarranted generalization across the globe. 5) The paper should be written clearly and with an identification structure of argument. It would be useful you introduce this structulryre at the introduction section.

RUBRIC
Excellent Quality 95-100%	Introduction 45-41 points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned.		Literature Support 91-84  points The background and significance of the problem and a clear statement of the research purpose is provided. The search history is mentioned.			Methodology 58-53 points Content is well-organized with headings for each slide and bulleted lists to group related material as needed. Use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance readability and presentation content is excellent. Length requirements of 10 slides/pages or less is met.
Average Score 50-85%	40-38 points More depth/detail for the background and significance is needed, or the research detail is not clear. No search history information is provided.		83-76  points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is little integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are included. Summary of information presented is included. Conclusion may not contain a biblical integration.			52-49  points Content is somewhat organized, but no structure is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. is occasionally detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met.
Poor Quality 0-45%	37-1 points The background and/or significance are missing. No search history information is provided.		75-1 points Review of relevant theoretical literature is evident, but there is no integration of studies into concepts related to problem. Review is partially focused and organized. Supporting and opposing research are not included in the summary of information presented. Conclusion does not contain a biblical integration.			48-1 points There is no clear or logical organizational structure. No logical sequence is apparent. The use of font, color, graphics, effects etc. is often detracting to the presentation content. Length requirements may not be met
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