Into the Unknown, or: Towards a Global History of Monoculture

The modern world of agriculture is a world of monoculture. All over the globe, farm
systems gravitate towards a reliance on one primary species. The modern world of
agriculture is also based on scientific and technological innovation. Maybe we can identify some cross-cultural similarities in the interplay between monocultures and science?
Should we see science as a driver of agricultural specialization, or was it more of a profiteer, as the problems of monoculture called for new solutions and new knowledge? A work-in-progress, this presentation traces outlines of a global story whose ending is
eminently open.

PD Dr. Frank Uekötter is a reader in environmental humanities at the University of Birmingham. In 2009, he received his habilitation at Bielefeld University for a study of the transformation of agricultural knowledge in modern Germany. His work combines the history of science with environmental history and the history of technology.