A Feast of Flowers: Race, Labor, and Postcolonial Capitalism in Ecuador

In the mid-1980s, Ecuador's cut-flower industry boomed on international credit and currency speculation. By the twenty-first century, exporters rebuilt their businesses around the profitability of their indigenous labor force, drawing local communities into new plantation systems. A Feast of Flowers by Christopher Krupa explores how capitalist pioneers built a booming export industry around a racial ideology, turning indigenous people's differences into resources for industrial expansion. This racial system believes that capitalism can change people's racial identity and liberate oppressed populations. Krupa's research shows how aggressive capitalist expansion in postcolonial contexts may revive longstanding intersections between race and economy, facilitating new modes of dispossession under the guise of humanitarian intervention.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 22 March 2022
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

In the mid-1980s, Ecuador's cut-flower industry experienced a remarkable surge, fueled by a wave of international credit peddling and currency speculation. This phenomenon not only brought prosperity to northern financial firms but also led countries of the Global South into successive debt crises. By the turn of the twenty-first century, as Ecuador's economy faltered and its ties with international finance strained, flower exporters sought to rebuild their businesses by capitalizing on the profitability of their indigenous labor force. This shift resulted in the establishment of new plantation systems, which encroached upon the highlands, drawing local communities into their fold.

In his book, "A Feast of Flowers," Christopher Krupa delves into the intricate workings of Ecuador's cut-flower industry, shedding light on how its capitalist pioneers constructed a thriving export industry based on a racial ideology. This ideology posits that capitalism possesses the unique ability to transform people's racial identities and liberate oppressed populations from racial subordination. Krupa's research spans nearly two decades and encompasses ethnographic and historical studies. Through his work, he demonstrates how these views shape the incorporation of indigenous people into demanding labor systems within Ecuador's new export plantations. Moreover, he explores how indigenous minds and bodies have become sites of study and intervention by scientists, politicians, and economic planners throughout the past century, all driven by the desire to alter the course of indigenous people.

Krupa's book highlights the ways in which aggressive capitalist expansion in postcolonial contexts can revive longstanding intersections between race and economy, facilitating new modes of dispossession under the guise of humanitarian intervention. It serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the need to critically examine the implications of economic development initiatives and their impact on marginalized communities. "A Feast of Flowers" provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of race, economy, and power, offering a timely reminder of the importance of social justice and equity in shaping the outcomes of economic growth and development.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 151 x 227 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812225129