Productivism or Protectionism?

This project investigates debates about the use of pesticides in forestry between the 1940s and the 1970s.

Unasylva, ‘Killing mesquite with kerosene. Long spouts on cans aid in getting the oil to the base of the stem. The oil seeps down to the bud zone of the plant.’ (Soil Conservation Service), Vol 10, No 4, 1948 - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Reproduced with permission.

Forests had long provided a range of resources, from timber to resins to foodstuffs. In the period after the Second World War, many observers called for a more intensive exploitation of forests in the interest of reconstruction and development.

‘Development of Forest Resources in Nicaragua. Slicing a log with a power chainsaw to detect the presence of parasitic insects in the area are I.H. Ingram, Nicaraguan counterpart entomologist (left), and FAO forest management expert Harry Yate (United States), 1971’ - UN7612813, UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata

Front covers of the journals Unasylva (1947), World Forest Inventory (1958), Yearbook of Forest Products (1969/70) (from left to right). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Reproduced with permission.

The use of pesticides appeared promising in this regard, yet it was accompanied by serious ecological and health risks. The project studies the tension between productivist and protectionist approaches in international debates as seen through the lens of UN agencies.