GS101 Lecture Notes - Commodification, Monocropping, Enclosure
Document Summary
The temperate-grain-livestock complex: began in britain from 1500-1800 because of 2 things. Dismantling of the old feudal order that had dominated society (lord peasants) until modernity. Lords decided to close off the peasants land and control access to the land. This required peasants to sell their labour instead of their food. The privatization of land by lords to increase their intake and forcing the peasants to sell their labour: rise of population and agricultural demand. Population explosion in 1800s creating a massive demand for food. Imperialism: exporting people to the americas to work, importing food from around the world. The agricultural revolution: transformed agricultural production, soil mining. The systematic usage of soil nutrients faster than they are naturally replenished: rise of monocropping. However it makes your vulnerability to external factors: commodification of animals. Animals became commodities that could be bought and sold. Used as food and not just livestock. Meat is the most inefficient form of protein to get.
