Commodification Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is commodification in the context of environmental geography?
It is the process by which goods, services, ideas, or even nature are transformed into commodities to be bought and sold in markets.
What does Karl Marx’s concept of ‘primitive accumulation’ refer to?
It refers to the violent historical process, such as the English Enclosure Acts, that transformed common resources into private property, dispossessing peasants and creating a wage-dependent working class.
What are the characteristics of a commodity according to Marx?
A commodity must (1) have use value, (2) be exchangeable, and (3) derive its value from human labor.
How does capitalist production differ from pre-capitalist systems regarding commodities?
Capitalist production is for exchange, not direct use, and is increasingly mediated by money and market relations.
What are the broader social and ecological consequences of commodification?
It transforms ecosystems, produces pollution and waste, and restructures society by making social consumption reliant on markets.
What are fictitious commodities according to Karl Polanyi?
Land, labor, and nature—because they are not originally produced for exchange yet are treated as if they are.
How have seeds been commodified?
Through genetic modification, patenting, and privatization of plant genetic resources, leading to loss of seed diversity and corporate control.
Why is the phrase ‘commodities are made’ significant?
It emphasizes that even ‘natural’ resources are shaped by socio-historical processes like colonization, science, and labor exploitation.
What happened to the rubber plant (Hevea Brasiliensis) under British colonialism?
Seeds were smuggled out of Brazil and grown on plantations in Asia and Africa using exploitative labor, reshaping entire landscapes.
What are the four major components of the commodification process as identified by Castree (2003)?
Privatization, alienability, abstraction, and valuation.
What does ‘abstraction’ mean in the context of carbon markets?
It involves treating all emissions as equivalent regardless of origin or context, reducing complex phenomena to a single metric (e.g., CO₂e).
Why is water considered an ‘uncooperative commodity’?
Because it resists commodification due to its biophysical necessity, spiritual/cultural significance, and public good character.
What are the arguments for privatizing water supply?
Proponents claim it leads to better efficiency, more capital investment, improved expertise, and environmental conservation.
What are the criticisms against water privatization?
Opponents argue public systems are more equitable, affordable, and ethically aligned with public interest rather than profit.
How do community activists view both public and private water systems?
They critique both, highlighting the importance of community action to ensure access, affordability, and quality.
What is market environmentalism?
It is the belief that applying market principles and institutions to environmental governance is the most effective way to address ecological issues.
What values are typically prioritized under market environmentalism?
Efficiency, private property, profit, and growth.
What values are often deprioritized by commodification?
Equity, intrinsic value of nature, collective well-being, and public interest.
What happened after the privatization of Thames Water in the UK?
It faced rising debt, environmental issues, underinvestment, and rising consumer costs despite high dividends to shareholders.
How does commodification relate to accumulation under capitalism?
Commodification is a mechanism of accumulation, turning public and community-managed resources into profit-generating private assets.
What are commons and how do they contrast with commodities?
Commons are collectively owned resources managed for shared benefit, emphasizing use value and public wealth over private profit.
What are examples of de-commodification in water management?
Public-public partnerships, water cooperatives, community watershed boards, and re-collectivized infrastructure.
What are examples of de-commodification in food systems?
Seed sovereignty, seed sharing, cooperative farms, food banks, soup kitchens, and public distribution systems.
What does the phrase ‘commodities are not things, but socio-ecological relations’ mean?
It means commodities represent complex interactions between society, nature, and historical processes, not just physical objects.
