French Ecological Imperialism: A Postcolonial Approach

Abstract

Ecological imperialism is receiving increasing attention from analysts. However, the extant literature on the subject contains two major gaps. First, the non-English-speaking world is woefully underrepresented. Second, previous analyses have employed mainly Marxist analytical frameworks; consequently, the efficacy of alternative frameworks in analyzing ecological imperialism remains largely undeveloped. To bridge these two gaps, I focus on two areas: 1) the role of France, and 2) the value of postcolonialism as an analytic framework. France is a non-English-speaking polity at the forefront of colonialism and imperialism and one with a devastating ecological footprint. It influences contemporary development efforts in the countries it controlled as colonies, and it continues to dominate them as a neocolonial power. Postcolonialism serves as a versatile analytical framework for understanding and changing ecological imperialism.