Crops

“White Gold” Sugar: Changing the World

About the Lecture

  • From the age of honey to the age of sugarcane, the “sweet reed.”
  • The rise of sugar and the cruel slavery, enslaved Black people in sugar cane plantations
  • The abolitionary movement and revolution in the United States, France, and Haiti
  • Abolition of slavery and the emergence of contract workers (new workers to produce sugar)

Mobility of Crops and World History

1. Tobacco: Is it god’s gift or smoke of the devil?
– Tobacco from ancient Maya times and cigarette rod made by baking clay
– Discovery of tobacco by Columbus and spread it to Europe
– From treatment to major products that increase health
– Politics of tobacco, changes in the form of tobacco
– Meaning of tobacco in Latin America (especially Cuba)

2. Sugar, ‘‘white gold“, changes the world
– From the age of honey to the age of sugar cane ‘sweet reed’
– The rise of sugar, brutal slavery of sugar cane plantations and importation of black slaves
– Anti-slavery movement and revolution in the US, France and Haiti
– Abolition of slavery systems and birth of contract workers (new workers for producing sugar)

Mobility of Crops, World History, and Festivals

1. Tomato: the bright red fruit that changed the diet of humankind
– An unfortunate plant shunned by Europeans for 200 years
– Hidden reasons why tomatoes have become a staple ingredient in Italian food (Neapolitan pizza, etc.)
– How tomato ketchup was invented, which changed the diet of people around the world
– Tomatoes, the largest produced non-food crops in the world
– Multimedia Video: Origin and Development of the Tomato Festival in Spain

2. Chocolate: Indulgence and Violence Surrounding Sweet Chocolate
– The history of chocolate that is older than the ancient civilisation of Azteca
– The Spanish sweetened the ‘bitter water’ chocolate
– There is nothing sweet about the farms and companies that produce sweet chocolate .
– Pathway to fair production and distribution
– Multimedia Video: International Chocolate Festival in Portugal

3. Banana: The fate of a fruit that changed the world
– The forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve ate was a banana, not an apple!
– The history of bananas that originated from Asia
– Bananas heading to the Pacific
– The humble bananas rebuild the empire
– Sorrow in ‘Banana Republic’
– Multimedia Video: Banana Festival in Colombia

Mobility of Crops, World History, and Festivals

1. Tomato: The Red Fruit that Changed Humanity’s Dining Table

  • A misfortunate plant rejected by Europeans for 200 years
  • Why did Europeans reject and shun tomatoes?
  • Was the misunderstanding of tomatoes as a poisonous plant due to its “red colour”?
  • The hidden reasons why tomatoes have become a staple food in Italy (Neapolitan pizza)
  • How was ketchup, which changed dining tables worldwide, born?
  • Tomatoes, the number one crop in global production among non-cereal crops  
  • Video: The origins and development of Spain’s tomato festival

2. Chocolate: The Indulgence and Violence for Sweet Chocolate  

  • The history of chocolate longer than the ancient Aztec civilisation
  • The Spanish people transformed “bitter water” chocolate into a sweet one
  • There is no sweetness in chocolate farms and companies
  • Disposable humans
  • Dirty chocolate
  • Moving towards fair trade and distribution
  • Video: Portugal’s international chocolate festival

3. Banana: The Destiny of the Fruit that Changed the World

  • It wasn’t an apple but a banana that Adam and Eve plucked!
  • The first fruit cultivated by humanity
  • The history of bananas starting from Asia
  • Banana, heading towards the Pacific
  • In Africa, bananas are not just fruits but food
  • The birth of giant banana corporations
  • Humble bananas rebuild empires
  • The banana massacre in Colombia
  • The tragedy of “Banana Republic”
  • Video: Colombia’s banana festival

Potatoes: Crops with the Rise and Fall of Inca Civilization

Potatoes, like peppers, tobacco, and tomatoes, are eggplants native to the Americas. It is known as the crop of the soul alongside the legend that they were a divine gift. In ancient Latin America, potatoes and corn were pivotal in large-scale engineering projects. Due to their high potato productivity, civilisations such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and Inca were possible.

This lecture examines the path of potatoes ingrained in modern life, exploring how potatoes were the source of Inca civilisation and a staple for indigenous people in Latin America. Additionally, it reflects on the value of potatoes embedded in the history and culture of indigenous communities in Latin America.