How one crop can change the social landscape of a society
Jan. 15, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- How one crop can change the physical and social landscape of a society will be the topic of an upcoming presentation by an expert on the Amazon region's jute market who will speak at Western Michigan University Friday, Jan. 24.
Dr. Antoinette Winkler-Prins, assistant professor of geography at Michigan State University, will present "One of Amazonia's Other Booms: Jute 1930-1990" at 2 p.m. in Room 2734 of Wood Hall.
Jute was brought to the region by Japanese immigrants to supply the demand for jute sacking in southern Brazil where it was needed for packaging coffee.
"A combination of factors, including poor fiber quality, the removal of tariffs and especially the changes to synthetic sacks to transport coffee beans, led to a collapse of the jute market," Winkler-Prins says. "Despite the collapse, the legacy of the boom is still a major presence in the area."
The talk is part of the Geography Colloquium Series sponsored by the Department of Geography. The next presentation in the series, "Estimating and Communicating Uncertainty Associated with Regional Climate," will feature Dr. Julie Winkler, professor of geography at Michigan State University. That session is set for 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 in Room 2734 of Wood Hall.
Media contact: Matt Gerard, 269 387-8400, matthew.gerard@wmich.edu