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    Akanksha Chaudhari
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    Ecocriticism

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    Essay on Timbaktu

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    Ecocriticism

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    9 views11 pages

    Essay On Timbaktu

    Uploaded by

    Akanksha Chaudhari
    Ecocriticism

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 11
    Communal Indian Farming and Food Ecology: A Reading of Timbaktu Pat Brereton Ovenvnew ‘The importance of proves ad isightul documentaries bas never ‘sen more pertinent especialy wi zee global concen ove at poverty and oben, renting Bom highly saturated food products and Ineremed ficory roning. Most especaly there i a pcraliog eed to Influence perceptions and behavior in supporaing altemative modes of lng, whe cng up othe global challenges of himae change. ‘Sto banning to dre this fate witha number feted umes icng Wiley Marco (2010), Rat ea (2013) and We ‘on Mosier (2014), slong schol jonas sc a Enrrnmened {Communica Thee ae al creating sowing body of serch, empl Jig range of concer an toting out eeine Sots a there Indes oan tha calenging ea of tad. “Ts chapter wil focus. ona shor Tnsan documentary led Timbale and wleslre sue of cret adr and ature uasason. Te foe fund «pers cotioary ale concerning the overse of pes Sin the gener abuser of fictory ming mathods, we exdoning “rgaic commana mode of firming production. The overall message a the docamentary spelt agscltur ea global industry, recounting ts Prem Schaaf Commasicons Dubin Gy Unies, Gasvn, Dulin 9, land {Te Eos) (apie and The Author) 2016 s RAC Al SS Deborah ae) adornment, Dor Ib 1057/9781 soiae 14 ve tomas inresingly monoculture cop rater than ems ings more Blane and organically dev method of land husbanty. “The overluajecory ofthe tex bight the paradigm shit requicd| In facing upto climate chang, through the practic pplication of more Ststaiable moder of foo! proton lm audiences, T would ideal Uke to imagine, mst become etal spectators ofthe growing range of fm sal documentaries. tnt the ‘as mea wil opel propote ve anno enionmental ques tion especialy cig tension othe mow sppropeate and test mes ‘timing and fod production. Religious fi scar, or nance, alk ‘ofthe need for sptaly in fm, (0 which T would athe rowing neces for a form of entonmentl enlightenment and sicredacsy help fing andencs to "se ifeenty™ Ths notion of secng ilrenty can eral be appli to a deep ecolgia esmagining ofthe vs td tral technique of ln and, 1 wl argu, evden inthis poet dove mentary. Furthermore, eis meds analy Spproach emanates rom the ‘ropostion tha a emendous amount of tor thinking, feling, and [ercepion i undertaken when watching fs and documenta: hs ben infred fom numerous ees over the peat tht fr moss people ‘the mts media the primary way in whic they aque metres ahd ‘thi aides towards “ight ing” within contempory etre Foon Secunrry, Sustalwasiity, asp Ds-cRowrs All the wilt remains ical to communist complex environmental and ethical messages around fod secur, mich kw reli the per sive dangers of imate change. This epeil rc tapes pol aly unacceptable oral suggest tha he global economy ought fo shri nthe rug ro become tore ervonmentalsutiablea by singles carbon-based energy source inthe longer term, Most peo le especialy inthe West remain addicted to unlimited wealth affuctce, nd expecting freely ava cheap food and energy, we embracing 2 more desirucive form of conspicuous consumption tht etal does ot stack up agains the challenges towed crening evioninental ss ‘nab (ee famsexon 2012). ‘Asa concep, sustain came to prominence back nthe 1980 ant Ins gained broad acepunce fr beyond environmen eckes Ther femains, however, considerable digreement about how to achive ‘aiable way of he, much ls agree over what thi might incorporate Scholars equenly quote the 1987 Brandands Report, “Our Common Future," to anchor a comprehensive defation fhe concept The ies of omnminal an soci sstaiaby in particular, which th documentary fall fo, imple a twowaynloguc crs wht can brouly be care tered ss mire and human cure, Yer, the very notion si mans 4 sigpery concept, which, in terms of fod, canbe charctensed a een Tilly peomoring "balanced form of acukane tht docs nt sek to verexplot the nd fo shor tem pin. “The ultimate masistasonofsurainable ming a3 piting mode cflving would ideally embrace an organic mee of commialpracice, ‘ike that loving spayed in Timbo. Promoting and popalarng wich ‘adie slution to food predation, by cling foe til, een, or frugal fem of de growth, or at ese not soppording arial induc owth trough thease of dangerous chemical ad 4 dive towards ‘moneclural eas crops, involsesa more itor conceived and bal dnced prediction consumption model This remain ciel fo visualise, ‘much es promote, on fm (ce Reiger ea 2008; Dorin and Morey 2009; Muay and Heumano 2012; Rust eta. 2013; Wek von Mosinee 2014), Timbnitw serves a a progresive antidote around the inerent Potetalty in human mature towards geting the eoviconmentl balance Fah, by bth respecting the macednes ofthe eth and tng tobe ia hao with satre "Wester hese, in parca, wil ave wo change and adopt globally ‘conceived earonment sie modes, expecially akngsnt account the he imtalaner of poser nd depiion aro the abe often suggested tha the 0 ealed Third World peopl, lie aigenous cute representations of American naines (se Brereton 2008), have aa inn sell sated respect fr satura phcnomens, such at lind, touts Fiver aswell sees; all of whi are partial alone i this doc ‘neotry Everything remuins personal and ave fr sich avd, tre ‘used culture This ploophy of everything being connected choc 4 fs pnp of environmental ethic nd resonates wits Tomboy, wich also speaks to acura way of itt ha een appre lin the Wes. “Avallmed by numerous hola (sce Brereton 2016; aki 2013), icmust be constantly acknowledged that fr too much ec fli course tn scholarship cones fom very arrow Western cet, pice framework Ina cltre andthe clebeaton faerie ecologies of tre, sch ab Nai (to be dscssed later), wl nthe fre, Become + aor sure of eologialscholashp, Unfetunatly a presen, we have 2 Jong way t0 go belore me can hares he fits of such a ean global ‘son, alongside calling om oer pil and dicurve mis of engaging ith nature A good start has ben made, bowers, wth stud ch “Tinnoationa!Eecinema (Gustason ad Kssps 2013) nd Cltare and “Medi: Eccl Explorations edited by Raton K. Ale et. 2018) "No more ar rly constracted aes tat las psonia/ Western ely ecg 2 sine unrest ames or dts hllinarating,nch os comeing popes forms of engagement late ch Wars al be reaped rk ‘ecole st werd inmate acto hee cal ese of ‘ocl/gtlineenur an ane aol lc nd fe ino more mples dette around he erie and ewe reat dt ‘Sar teween Thin, Fit and eter wr ner eta eon 2016219) Furthermore, y developing mor productive and relesive seme ofplace though cc Wenig and envionment connect, at highlighted in this documentary, can help resmagine and even promote 2 more ‘enetolent and cooperative weir Of rococo ou plated planet cut “This opin tjetory inales acl transformation of publi pet ‘epsions an behaviour around bod podction and conmimpion, Some ‘sadene ofthis tenn transformation cu be ened fom the gow ftorganie ering and the sow foo! movement in the Wet, ogether ‘id ese studies, noch a this documentary Felling the mehalo fs developed and exceed n Environmental Beir nd Fil (Berea 2016), which aeraavely examites Hollywood fio] nats this ‘chapter wl focus on the very rcet factual ory Of axle aang Raysoa K. Alex mos wsily suggest tht «postcolonial fem ofeo ‘Sema should examine thie complerinterrlionatp between the eal “ul che natal and the sacred, which he el “T- documenta” (Alex tal 27) Timi certainly comesponds with tis tector in setting ‘tp 3 compler and symbosie inteneatomship between all akcholdes ‘thin a food production community and ivalsing an alternative and ‘more benevolent economic ter, a constructive socal srt ane aon sucture and even shite metal sructre, Tse al lp to {rent a sistaiable apd progres community tha wil econ Beco for chl society everywhere to follow and emt Textal ana of hit inside’s isin alo serves 2 sounding bart fo contating scenarios ane hope conuring up range of adil smal 9 tee ot Potealy raal environmental and cecal hypotheses round al pets [Fteming food production, Envionmental ecoscholas such a myself, working fom Ireland, tend wo place a rematable degre of fish in inns capac for won ‘er and ope andthe need for ose engagement with the mately of land tre and ved environments. At sight 1 wold have to ree that cinema seems to Bea poo subst for dec an eletie engage ‘ent witha range of envionment calnges acing the modern won Howener is lal each in iselfensres tat mdi a sn mportan ke 1o playin promoting awareness around ensionmental ites ehlp Construct new modes of popalr engagement theo sometine a ‘evsulstion of envronmens, ding Pom long onic hiory Celebrating the teapeute represeatason and evoeabon of mate. The [Pervasive exposure and populiy of nature documentary on leis nun the cinema, aswell aon ovine sites ike YouTube, whee T sourced {hs lm longue the natrefcined growth of fons gee fo Wesers wo ond mower and iene Seton adventtesin par (sce ‘Brereton 2005, 2016), have al elped in Keping the environment cere se and alin bighlghing the growing tensions around fo security, A Die Exvinonsuseat Reoisten ‘rox Docomnrany Bust ‘There are at est ive asic aston implica mich broadly ensron| mental tial pespective (1) everything connected wo everyting ees (2) the whole greater tan the sum of the pats (3) meanings contest Sependen;() proces hs primacy ont paty an (5) humans ado human suture are one! (Merchant 76:78) Thee interweaving pets ‘ofa deeply fe emironmenalcomcouines around mare at cate ‘re most eplily manned and explored in Timbatow Nonetheless, ‘Soschola ke Adon Teahiv (2013) worry tha 2 siclysetene Imorlitic, or overly romani approach to enronmentaly med lt {ic documentary fle shoc of oering ec scent to fr Men {ihlng td sealing varies iene Contactos In quick raponse, hhowene, I would counter thar puting such soe on fm is someties ‘ough in ise Ar Test sich dramatic exponre bs et the whole ‘eh are lo seminal god petal mem o daw ateton tothe ae ofan! an were andthe ora of prc ton, which since fern nas doctmentary. Some Westra Crise han wor wht ae wip ope tng to hove who cn afr and there 4 erie Le Std gator epmenewil ch eeree pee, “Thi Wl our row nate expen Thao cry ee ‘Stein to sch ences ath loony of «rebut wring dum Sing communi igang a inert nce wth nature whch {the same time el dened so shoe wh econo a (ih jum paradigms, Furthermore, sch dace ilrenes the ce, ‘Som sud tow can the paca ring power the Wein 0. Wiboss noson of “Mop” ant nate ove of ttre Become anal t ths rng in eae por conditions a asad ‘hewhee Sich dsp emionnntl nd juice maine rel called dbus around “Fane Wave” cone sty wah cholo tke Chis “Tong mggesing tht vowing cology a yf en the wt dicen sa of cme eo cic” Cong 116) Ir sage ‘ha, beeae of hese mind an overt concer can ‘cng ome uty clo exo ratre thyrascndore the pelens of gender cae and wes nthe pre de towards ling the asin poner sel boty of ote ne Sec 129-46) Ea enfin holm ough power yy 0 he ta bent of nate, te oneness ‘ahinjnctons and tances of power and injse But ech tesons Oi cone, nado be hes ead om forte tu yred pecan fd hls of evict ets to mare ant dev fl Scan itn he soa snes era yay mes, Tat ‘sks onal ee womcinc Conary tenon at proeesn se Spo ctamine thew ofan eter ren wldrne A Caurioxany Tate oF Metanotsc Rie, Sott, ‘AND POSTCOLONIAL ENVIRONMENTALISM. John Belly Roser, in his sly “Mars Theory of Mewabolc Ri ‘Gisc Foundations of Environmental Sociology” (1999), contends that ‘Marx prone a poerfl ans ofthe main ecological criss fi day, ‘wale Faiag “fandamental ies about the antagonism of town sd OMEN NOUN FAMENG AN ODO HEISE ARADING. 57 county the neces of eolgial sustainability” apd what Marx called {he snctabo” relation Berween oman beings and nate? ‘Ginen the inceasng pression of nate and tural resources tivouh (contemporary) indole faring and ther wealth Drodksing mover of development, Fenter aks wheter eptalm can be treamaped tothe demands of wha the environmentalist cll "is ‘inble development” Foster's ana lads him to conlade tha the Fev steps towards eesolving ecological prolems ein “the direction of the soukauson of ature and produstion and the cresion of 2 more ‘dmc, egltuan world order” (1999: 73). Aral model of firming practice i expt exemple in the documentary Tima Many eneironmeneal scholars, teasing out te tension Deween t= ‘ght ievloieal and enionmentl pressures, agate oer opposition to the Regemonie dominance of capialt methods of pretucton as being In ireiabe utopian politcal dream By all account, consrting ‘ivtonmently and socially aware india tam exenialBrt ep Towards siccesslenironmental transformation. Yet, some scholas remain unconvinced sserting tat whe ecocenrsm, along with Seep ‘cology and poncolonal power debues overland use, docs indeed hve 3 role to payin this proces, “aonceles given soit unl ingnes o sce beyond antropocenrism, ts necesuiy an incomplete role" (Gandhi 47), ‘rom a rsh an Ton perspective, Foser cies Mars interes ia hemi esearch ng the degradation ofa tty by tensive apa istagncltre and the sbmequen i” fvolved in the systen’s metabo. I wich be net the groming separation of "own and county” ower an other fvourgeneraluing the “mctbol™ or “ecological a” to understand and counter “apitalsn’s war onthe ert (Foster, York ‘na Ch) This Form of degradation ofthe has, of course, partis Lu purchane fra etl reaing of farming and aaare Sim general tut mom expecially recalls cotbeak of fuminc, nc a8 occurred So Ireland 4 well x trom other psteolnial courte. With a conscious de nurturing fend andthe promotion ofan unhealthy moncclral fm of agreulure? thi reresave form ofland abuse continues tothe presen day with the overue of peice on the lind. Thi pete of lo [rl gay has prc echoes in Tmba, slongede Lh ering fins sich a The Feld (1990) and Men of rem (1933), which oc o8 farmer srgge tre erie theland whe dang sened cos ong stances Embrcing thee divergent yet interconnecting precepts, one could suggrst that the essence of enifonmenlsstmaay, slong the Instr notion of metabolic it and te coll dscoune of dena ing oi 10 maximise outer, coaesces aru a eorplex reaming and engagement wth the discipline of economies, atonal history, portato haem, and enonmentalam_ Alternates connotation f gong “back to nate” and promoting form of commenal sainsblity ako reer ‘evel of sacri tha promibs wo dlver ules of being, trough ‘arty and emsronmental sana. ‘SrHaKING 10 AUDIENCES AND THE CREATIVE IMAGINARY oF Fu Byall accounts, cvizonmenta arguments wll ony have force if we ys eal el ter. oter words if am argument fs wo generate feng {e does not ap nto an ae range of pull engagement, then it will Probably nor pertuade it tended sucence Ths ir why the ceaive Imaginary of fon and poes tion remains © port ia mob ing and taming ple option, we alin onthe extensive power of “motions towards afetingaudence sponses. Such flee argument iriesiggsedin the Iteratre, ep motiateaadencs by ining deep feling, including waifaction, plese, excitement, iatre, anger, oF ‘even tress IF they generate no fens a ll the ae lly to be persuasive Bco-flm scholars seek out and promote thi more productive sa ‘ay and sve to extend che deep ecological mantra tht cveryhing i nnected" whi is tum hopefilypromates proactive enim ‘thial pespesiv. Bur lstating, much less prong, hat ach create ‘magia have smestrable and ciect fet on uae nces reais open reo question* Tu Guss RevoucTiow axp Factors FaRMine ‘Te walle "Green Revolution” inthe ater bal ofthe twentieth en tury fctated hoge growth inact production wih or exam Plc, new and “improved” sri of grain being deslope. But what ‘oso the put and redness of mire ano he long-term maging ‘of biodiversity and food secu? This eral cor tay drama nd highlighted throughout this Indian cae tay avi been retaively cheap forthe global consumer due to mate production, food is now most certainly back on the poiical agenda Using chemicals co simply improve growth and secure overall high yield shaving detrimental efets on human welte, with particular Concer acro ind, where the problem x exacerbate. Huma food ‘afar has to be the mumber one concer for agrcume und ety fencrllyat Riche Carton uncovered with rants to DDT usage bck in the early 1960, which in urn hep o kick tar the environ ‘mental movement Furthermore, the global right 1 food remains the preeminent fod junc angiment seem across al pare a he globe Oerving the flare Df the marc driven global stem to mec thi core human sigh, the food jie lobby has broughe together an acy of arguments around food and the environment, food and health, bed and boa, and oot and hunger, a wea focising on how fod is grown, processed, ant tinted within a jstce framework. The night to fod, then, i not Simply about foo grown stanly, but ao abot foo grown locally, nd abot pood and jam fd ‘Tae Cutrvanow oF Fooo Justice ‘The enviroamenast mantra local think gobally~is ao a oot justice wuism, When food produced though an industrial system art “iibted through lol saply chan he inputs ao Ro produc fo, proceing, and sipping sncrate enormous erironnental sreses ‘har cate pollstion ofthe lads, and water, pushing Death burdens buick omt fn workers and ote ood producers These tensions re et ‘panded at uous eek in Timbo When food prodacton, incl ing most importa the necesty of maining the precoos resource fof reating wed fo tre crops, sly commode, when i eomcs torder and ocean athe erate afr emionmertl apd carbon fborpin is pea inreaed and this alo aes Food secu, 8 his owtmenciey cea testes “Threats othe ood supply chan eepresent ony one of tes “dreaded ‘outcomes, bt because fod can speak so vs to oth shor tem ant tong term human aed, alongside recaling ater manifestation of en ronmental hinge, the sch for food amides work fare becoes {request mot i post-apocalyptic, Kona martives and in Josue tans ike the one dace inti chaptr Food is imagined not only aa necesiry sstenance fr corporeal needs, bu alo, cording to Jean P. Revinge (2008) spel of Guta Suai a ial staal symbol of ie an death, nature and rire, human and non-human. For food not “nly shapes our boss, bot suctres ourlivs, fsioned daly island hp to mak sei ‘arte of pase. Food connects footer both arecty hrou ‘Shared meals and eulralh though shed ses” (Retzinge 370), Tima els to elevate serie iss and agenda around fod, while Suggesting rail change towards embracing organic frmung. Yet Te must be ecopribed tha ds rae concept of foe tice rea ‘underesploed in themes, parte when tomes to analysing he Phenomenon asa potential spark for anew socal movement within the ‘gansation ofagcatur, For example, Tam Langand Michael Heston imgue that “there rising evidence of ijace withthe food stern” Which they characterise asthe midsubuton of fxd, poor ates fo 1 good ie, inequities in the labour proces and wai earns key Supple long the od chain” (Gotlehet al). Thi sense fait iste explored and turned on head in Tmbakr,with al ‘evand workers inthe commune becoming empowered by reesing ths Imbalance and cresting an altenatie and more citable nae of fod production. A Wesern dominant food system produces 3 predominany Bih-bt, his high spr sperdized dr, which als argts cons csoflow-income communis and commune ofcalour, wher heck ‘faces to esl, healthy fod as ceased prevent heal Aispartis-se, fr instance, Superie Me 2004). Added to thse prob lem is the onerone of peste osutain ths lee of onerprscion of proceed food. Consequently tory proces have to al “mina” [ick ito such over processed foods puadoxi lena which this documentary efetivey brings our tention Fanateas as STEWARDS OF THE LAND ‘The inherent benefits of fo grown locally as embod in Tb i strongly connected wth aldo Lenpl's ies ofthe “and ety” ich is further expanded by Wendell Berry and ther proponents ofthe fa

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