The Sovereign Poison - by Tom Widger (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Growing concerns over pesticide exposure have fueled calls for stricter regulations. Yet, governments--often constrained by the pressures of global markets--frequently fall short in implementing effective controls. The Sovereign Poison explores the failed efforts of both the European Parliament and the Sri Lankan government to ban glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide. Introducing the concept of "poisoncraft," Tom Widger delves into the cultural beliefs and practices surrounding poison that played a key role in these controversies and traces humanity's long and complex relationship with toxic substances. Through a wide-ranging anthropological lens, this book examines poison in its many forms--as a tool of witchcraft and magic, a language of value and exchange, a discourse of nationalist politics, and a foundational element of the global food system. By uncovering the intersections of science, politics, and regulation with public demands for sovereign control, Widger reveals the deeper cultural logics and power dynamics that underpin the global governance of pesticides.

From the Back Cover

"Detailing how and why harmful chemicals are not better controlled, Tom Widger's book also provides a surprising account of how central the idea of poison is to sovereign state power."--Becky Mansfield, Professor of Geography, The Ohio State University

"Widger provides an excellent contribution to anthropological scholarship on toxicity, via pesticides. He advances 'poisoncraft, ' a compelling theoretical framework to examine relations between nation-state, regulation, and governance in comparative perspective."--Ciara Kierans, author of Chronic Failures: Kidneys, Regimes of Care, and the Mexican State

"Welcome to the Age of Toxicity, a time when statecraft has become poisoncraft. The Sovereign Poison offers a comprehensive yet gripping account of how industries, governments, and everyday citizens construct and contest a chemically saturated world."--Alex M. Nading, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University

About the Author

Tom Widger is Professor of Anthropology at Durham University and author of Suicide in Sri Lanka: The Anthropology of an Epidemic.