6. Biopiracy

                We have seen the vast range of influences plants have had on our world; however, the exchange of this knowledge was not always conducted ethically. The discovery of new biological information is referred to as bioprospecting. Biopiracy is a type of bioprospecting, where this biological knowledge is exploited, without appropriate compensation to those originally familiar with the plant. Also referred to as ‘plant transfers,’ biopiracy has been an issue with biological progress, both historically and in modern times.

1.

                In the early 1800s, China had a monopoly on tea, as it was the sole exporter of the plant and restricted trade. The demand was growing in Europe, however, and the British East India Company wanted their own access to the plant. In 1848, the company sent Robert Fortune, a plant hunter, to China to collect and retrieve tea. Fortune traveled to China in disguise, where he collected plants and seeds, and learned about growing methods, which were much simpler than the Westerners had believed. Fortune brought more than twenty thousand tea plants to India, which by 1890, supplied 90% of Britain’s tea.

2.

                Another historical example of biopiracy involves the transfer of quinine. Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria, and is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, which is indigenous to South America. The demand for quinine was so high that the cinchona tree nearly became extinct. Then, in 1860, Clements Markham successfully smuggled cinchona seeds to Britain, which were then cultivated in India and the West Indies.

3.

                This crime is an issue in the ancient world as well as the modern world. In 1997, an American company was granted a patent on Basmati rice, even though this rice had been grown for thousands of years by Indian and Pakistani growers. This meant that the growers and exporters would have to pay royalties to the company if they used the familiar Basmati name that they had used for years. This patent was rescinded after protests, but it is still an example of how biopiracy helps developed countries exploit foreign farmers and growers.

4.

                Biopiracy has a culturally and biologically negative impact. First of all, this practice is harmful to the interests of the indigenous people who have the knowledge of the plant and how to use it effectively. These people receive no compensation for their information, which is a form of exploitation. Additionally, biopiracy threatens biodiversity.

Relevant Sites:

http://www.lepassagemoganshan.com/index.php/plant-hunters/tea-thieves-plant-hunters

http://www.amazonlink.org/biopiracy/biopiracy_history.htm

http://www.infobarrel.com/Biopiracy_and_Brazil

https://www.downtoearth.org/environment/genetic-engineering/ancient-rice-modern-world-biopiracy-and-bioengineering

Photo Citations:

1. http://sites.duke.edu/amazonbiopiracy/files/2013/12/Biopiracy2.jpg

2. http://www.roninfilms.com.au/images/large/466.jpg

3.­ http://portlandfoodanddrink.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/quinine-bark.jpg

4. http://simbahayan.tripod.com/images/biopiracy.gif

5. The Importance of Cotton

                As we have learned in this class, plants have had a huge impact on ancient cultures, historical events, and current customs. Of all the plants we’ve talked about so far, I believe that cotton has had the greatest influence on our world (besides wood).

1.

                First of all, cotton was a crop that was traded worldwide, therefore affecting many countries and people along the way. Originally found in India as early as 5 B.C., cotton was brought west to Europe by the Moors. Although Britain was one of the last countries to receive the plant in the 16^th century, cotton became an essential import for the country’s economy. Cotton constituted 66% of the British East India Company’s imports by the 1680s; the profits from trading cotton allowed the company to expand their business and obtain much more power worldwide.

2.

                As trade increased, cotton grew in popularity, and the demand for cotton goods rose in Europe. Cheap slave labor was required to produce enough raw materials on plantations in the American colonies. Cotton became an essential part of the triangle trade, and therefore was involved in the slave trade. Although the demand for cotton and the supply of raw cotton were both present, there was a lack of skilled labor to process the plant and produce cotton cloth. This absence inspired technological advances in Britain to make the process faster and more efficient, and this led to the Industrial Revolution. Although these practices were originally developed for cotton, soon the production of many other goods was mechanized.

3.

                 Although cotton has made a huge impact throughout history, it continues to be incredibly relevant today. This is apparent in how many products cotton is a part of, from food to clothing to currency, to name a few. Furthermore, the production and export of cotton is a huge industry today, which helps the economies of many countries. For example, the United States, one of the largest exporters of cotton, makes $25 million a year from the cotton industry. Cotton’s existing prevalence in society proves its importance throughout history.

4.

Relevant Sites:

https://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/importance.cfm

http://www.cottonguide.org/cotton-guide/the-world-cotton-market/the-importance-of-cotton-in-world-trade/?menuID=3502

Photo Citations:

1. http://www.loeser.us/flags/images/revolution/british_east_indies_varient_1801.gif

2.­ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Detailed_Triangle_Trade.jpg

3.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Interior_of_Magnolia_Cotton_Mills_spinning_room._See_the_little_ones_scattered_through_the_mill._All_work._Magnolia..._-_NARA_-_523307.jpg

4. http://www.altenergy.org/oldgrowth/images/20bucks.jpg

The British East India Company

1.

                The British East India Company was a politically and economically powerful organization that made its profit from trading goods worldwide. It was founded in 1600 to partake in the spice trade with East India, and expanded over the years to trade a wide variety of goods from many different countries. Cotton, tea, and opium were three of the plants that had a huge impact on the business and success of the company.

2.

                Cotton was one of the first large markets that the BEIC got involved in, becoming over 60% of the company’s trade by the 1680s. It was the growing demand for cotton in Europe that gave the BEIC the profits it needed to expand its business, which brought them to China, where they got involved in trading tea. Tea had become a very popular drink in Europe; however, China had control over the trade, as it was one of the few places tea was known to grow. China would only accept silver as payment, so the BEIC put a high tax on tea being sold back in Europe. These taxes helped the company maintain their power

3.

                Acquiring large amounts of silver had become quite expensive for the BEIC, so they began to look for other forms of payments to the Chinese. The company had access to a lot of opium, so they began trading it for silver, where it was then smuggled into China. Chinese opposition to these illegal opium exports eventually led to the Opium Wars in 1839-1842. The British victory in these wars allowed the East India Company to gain power and expand their operations even further.

Relevant Sites:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/176643/East-India-Company

http://web.utk.edu/~gerard/romanticpolitics/britisheastindia.html

Photo Citations:

1. http://www.victorianweb.org/history/empire/india/eastindia.jpg

2.­ http://www.commoditytrademantra.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/silver-2.jpg

3. http://philebersole.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/the-opium-war.jpg