Fishy Nightmares and Dairy Dreams: Globalized Markets, Environmental Justice and Gender in Tanzania
By: Bryson Cowan '12
Advising Faculty: Jane Dawson
With the growth of neoliberal trade policies and the spread of western capitalism, the distribution of environmental and social disparities has been unequal. By exploring the effects of globalized markets on two food industries in Tanzania, this independent study aims to dive deeper to explain what is causing the cultural and ecological changes, extreme poverty and malnutrition in fishing communities. The core of this analysis is the exportation of the Nile perch industry, which in recent years has been referred to as "Darwin’s Nightmare." To contrast this case, the localized, all-female cooperative movement within the dairy industry is explored. By widening the scope to incorporate women and the gender roles of the local communities, it becomes clear that international demand is not the only factor causing destruction along Lake Victoria.
Related Fields: Environment, Goodwin-Niering Center, Government, International Relations