Colonialism and Global Trade Flashcards
(8 cards)
How did colonisation affect Indigenous food systems?
Displaced them
Introduced export-oriented monocultures
Suppressed traditional practices (e.g. fire use in Australia)
Systems focused on profit
How did global trade reshape food systems?
Crops and goods moved continents, often through slavery and exploitation
e.g. sugar, rubber, spices
What is neo-colonialism in the context of food and trade?
Economic systems where wealthy nations benefit from labour and resources in poorer nations, maintaining global inequalities
e.g. cheap production in global south for consumption in the global north
What is an example of a colonial extraction with long-term ecological effects?
Rubber exploitation in the Congo, driven by European demand, linked to extreme violence and deforestation
How did colonialism contribute to the Anthropocene?
It accelerated land-use change, species movements, deforestation, fossil fuel use
Laid foundations for the global extractive economy
How did colonialism lead to long-term food insecurity in colonised regions?
Focused on cash crops for export
Replaced local food production
Increased vulnerability to famine and dependence on imports
What was the role of trade liberalisation in continuing colonial patterns?
e.g. NAFTA (North American Fair Trade Act)
Promoted export agriculture in developing countries, often displacing small-scale farmers and deepening dependence on global markets
How did colonial botany affect biodiversity?
Movement of species across continents changed ecosystems, often introducing invasive species and reducing local diversity