Mel Watkins and the continuing evolution of staples theory

Abstract Mel Watkins re-applied the “staples theory” of Canadian economic history, originally proposed by economic historians including Harold Innis in the 1930s, within the increasingly radical discourse of Canadian political economy in the 1960s and 1970s. In so doing, he helped start a new intellectual and political tradition: the “New Canadian Political Economy.” Watkins’ analysis of staples industries remains relevant and influential today, in part because of his willingness to adapt and extend that analysis to reflect evolving economic, political, and ecological realities.