A few weeks ago, Rachel Schurman and I published The Complex Choreography of Agricultural Biotechnologies in Africa in the journal African Affairs. In the article, we surveyed nearly 30 years of strategic and well-funded efforts by donors to bring GMOs to Africa. These efforts, we contend, have so far yielded very little. How come? We argue that … Continue reading Sharing findings with different audiences
Author: joevarock
Public talk @ UC Berkeley March 10
I'm very excited to be giving a talk at UC Berkeley next month on genetically modified crops, sustainability, and qualitative research methods.
Recipient of the 2019 Boahen-Wilks Prize
Happy to share that my article, “We Are Not Starving: Challenging Genetically Modified Seeds and Development in Ghana" received the 2019 Boahen-Wilks Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Article in Ghana Studies.
The Fight for the Future of Food
On October 23, 2019, the University of San Francisco hosted five leading African food sovereignty activists for a night of discussion, food, and networking. We were fortunate to hear from Victoria Adongo (Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana), Mariam Bassey-Orovwuje (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa), Dr. Million Belay (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa), Mariam … Continue reading The Fight for the Future of Food
Call for Papers: Political Ecology and the New Green Revolution in Africa (AAG 2020)
CALL FOR PAPERS Political Ecology and the New Green Revolution in Africa Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers Denver, Colorado April 6-10, 2020 Deadline for abstracts: October 18, 2019 Organizers: Jessie Luna, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University Joeva Rock, International Studies Department, University of San Francisco Brian Dowd-Uribe, International Studies Department, … Continue reading Call for Papers: Political Ecology and the New Green Revolution in Africa (AAG 2020)
Call for Papers: Drone Ecologies (Ghana Studies Assoc. 2019)
Call for Papers Drone Ecologies ** Ghana Studies Association Triennial Conference July 10-13, 2019 University of Ghana This panel explores critical ecologies and technologies in Ghana. The recent controversy over the government of Ghana’s partnership with Zipline International to supply blood via drone service reveals important tensions between the state, technology and public services. Drones, … Continue reading Call for Papers: Drone Ecologies (Ghana Studies Assoc. 2019)
2018 in Review
It’s December, which means I’ve hit the year anniversary of my defense (wow!) and 2019 is near. I’ve been reflecting on work done the past year – not because productivity is the goal – but because I, like many others, constantly fall into the trap of feeling underproductive and therefore overlooking actual accomplishments. So, I … Continue reading 2018 in Review
A Potato Named Kofi
Earlier this week, Ghanaian scientists announced they plan to name a new sweet potato variety after fellow countryman Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General who died on August 18 of this year. The primary investigator overseeing the sweet potato project, Dr. Ernest Baafi, told reporters the naming was in tribute of Annan's work with the … Continue reading A Potato Named Kofi
Encountering Food in the Field, Centering it in Development Studies
Why aren't rich and tasty food cultures more central to development efforts?
Dissertation Defense
I'm excited to announce that I will be defending my dissertation on December 1st, 2017. The defense is open to the public, and if you'll be in DC and would like to attend, please send me a message and I'll relay the details to you. My abstract is below: We Are Not Starving: GMOs and … Continue reading Dissertation Defense
