As part of the Asian Studies speaker series, Dr. Sigrid Schmalzer (UMass Amherst) will give a talk titled “From Native Pesticides to Chinese Medicine Agriculture: Traditional Agricultural Knowledge in China during the 1950s and Today.”  The event will take place on Thursday, March 28 at 1PM in Sheehan 109.  A flyer is attached   

In China today, proponents of Chinese Medicine Agriculture seek to protect crops with plant-based formulas and traditional medical concepts rather than harmful chemical pesticides. Virtually absent in premodern Chinese history, this approach does have a surprising precedent: the “native pesticides” movement of the Great Leap Forward (1958-60), a time usually associated with famine rather than agricultural innovation. The speaker will explore the painful ironies of this history, while recognizing the positive roles played by diverse actors in mobilizing local plant knowledge.

This event is made possible through generous support from Interdisciplinary Studies; Earth, Environment, and Physics; Office of Multicultural Affairs; Honors; and History and Political Science.

I look forward to seeing you there.