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Life for Sale? The Politics of Lively Commodities

Author

Listed:
  • Rosemary-Claire Collard

    (Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3G3)

  • Jessica Dempsey

    (School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, PO Box 3060 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3R4)

Abstract

When so many facets of nonhuman life are commodified daily with little challenge, this paper looks to shed light on what is objectionable about commodifying nonhuman life. As a contribution in this direction, we undertake a comparative examination of the formation of two different but equally lively, and international, commodities: Exotic pets and ecosystem carbon. In this paper we first set out to understand what characteristics of life matter in the production of the commodity. We argue that a particular mode of value-generating life predominates in each commodity circuit: in exotic pet trade, an individualized, ‘encounterable’ life; in ecosystem services, an aggregate, reproductive life. Second, we find that hierarchies between humans and other beings are highly generative in the formation and effects of lively commodities. On one hand, these hierarchies cast nonhumans in a disposable state that is integral to the functioning of exotic pet trade; on the other hand, these hierarchies are partly what ecosystem services are designed to address. Nevertheless, we find that reproduction of uneven species geographies is at work in both economies. The degree and nature of effect on the material conditions of nonhuman lives is, however, distinct, and our conclusion calls for greater attention to these differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosemary-Claire Collard & Jessica Dempsey, 2013. "Life for Sale? The Politics of Lively Commodities," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 45(11), pages 2682-2699, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:45:y:2013:i:11:p:2682-2699
    DOI: 10.1068/a45692
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin Heimann & Markus Reichstein, 2008. "Terrestrial ecosystem carbon dynamics and climate feedbacks," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7176), pages 289-292, January.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Milena Bojovic & Andrew McGregor, 2023. "A review of megatrends in the global dairy sector: what are the socioecological implications?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 373-394, March.
    3. Alonso-Fernández, Pablo & Regueiro-Ferreira, Rosa María, 2022. "Extractivism, ecologically unequal exchange and environmental impact in South America: A study using Material Flow Analysis (1990–2017)," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    4. Kathryn Gillespie, 2021. "The afterlives of the lively commodity: Life-worlds, death-worlds, rotting-worlds," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(2), pages 280-295, March.
    5. Pütz Robert, 2020. "Die Vermarktlichung von Wildnis. Lebendige Waren, Companionability und Encounter Value beim Mustang Makeover Germany," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 64(1), pages 1-13, March.
    6. Chris KK Tan & Tingting Liu & Xiaojun Gao, 2021. "Becoming ‘pet slaves’ in urban China: Transspecies urban theory, single professional women and their companion animals," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(16), pages 3371-3387, December.
    7. Carolyn Prouse, 2021. "Mining liquid gold: The lively, contested terrain of human milk valuations," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 958-976, August.
    8. Wallace, Robert G. & Bergmann, Luke & Kock, Richard & Gilbert, Marius & Hogerwerf, Lenny & Wallace, Rodrick & Holmberg, Mollie, 2015. "The dawn of Structural One Health: A new science tracking disease emergence along circuits of capital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 68-77.
    9. Müller, Felix C. & Kleibert, Jana M. & Ibert, Oliver, 2021. "Hiding in the Spotlight: Commodifying Nature and Geographies of Dissociation in the Fur-Fashion Complex," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 97(1), pages 89-112.
    10. Krithika Srinivasan, 2017. "Conservation biopolitics and the sustainability episteme," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(7), pages 1458-1476, July.

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