Jack R. Kloppenburg, Jr., Ph.D.

Research

Project Details

Sophisticated Science, Primitive Accumulation

The overall objective of Kloppenburg's project was to conduct a systematic exploration of the political economy of the appropriation and exchange of genetic information. He helped identify and foster the implementation of mechanisms that can be used for the determination of property rights in genetic resources and for their just allocation to identifiable social groups. He also addressed the connection between the global "geneshed" and what he terms the global "foodshed."

Kloppenburg has continued with efforts to link geneshed analysis with foodshed analysis in order to help develop the conditions under which sustainable, self-reliant, local/regional food production can be realized. In pursuit of these goals, his Pew fellowship supported policy work on farmer's rights and the research and writing of a book entitled Sophisticated Science, Primitive Accumulation.

Biography

Jack Kloppenburg focuses on social studies of science and technology and on environmental sociology. He explores the means by which those who "own" biological diversity in developing countries can claim ownership and maintain genetic "property rights" and systems of reward for the production, reproduction and maintenance of biological diversity. He specifically focuses on the problems of establishing rights to genetic information on behalf of peasant communities and indigenous peoples. In addition, he is undertaking a study to address the distinctions between "local/indigenous" and "scientific" knowledge production.

CV

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Cornell University
1985: Development Sociology, New York, USA

Master of Arts, Northwestern University
1976: Anthropology, Illinois, USA

Bachelor of Arts, Yale University
1974: Archaeology, Connecticut, USA

KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Committee for Responsible Technology
past Steering Committee member

Rural Sociological Society Program Committee
1989

University of Wisconsin Center for Livestock in International Development
past Steering Committee member

KEY AWARDS & HONORS

Marine Fellow
1992: Pew Fellows Program in Conservation and the Environment

Robert K. Merton Professional Award
1991

MacArthur Fellowship in International Peace and Security
1989: SSRC

Theodore Saloutos Memorial Book Award
1989

ASSOCIATIONS

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Sociological Association

Rural Sociological Association

Society of Conservation Biology

Society for Economic Botany

Society for Social Studies of Science

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1998. Possible Formulas for the Sharing of Benefits Based on Different Benefits Indicators., Rome, Italy. Report to the Secretary for the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1996. The commodification of life: Does history know where it is going? In: The Life Industry: Biodiversity, People and Profits (M. Pimbert ed.). IT Publications, London, UK
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. and B. Burrows. 1996. Biotechnology to the rescue? Twelve reasons why biotechnology is incompatible with sustainable agriculture. The Ecologist 26(2): 61-67
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. and S. Lezberg. 1996. Getting it straight before we eat ourselves to death: From food system to foodshed in the 21st century. Society and Natural Resources 9:93-96
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr., J. Hendrickson and G.W. Stevenson. 1996. Coming in to the foodshed. Agriculture and Human Values 13(3): 33-42
• Lezberg S. and J. Kloppenburg, Jr. 1996. That we all might eat: Regionally-reliant food systems for the 21st century. Development 4:28-33
• Hassanein, N. and J. Kloppenburg, Jr. 1995. Where the grass grows again: Knowledge exchange in the sustainable agriculture movement. Rural Sociology 60(4): 721-740
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1995. Democratic Solomonism: A Genetic Resource Regime for the New Century., Rome, Italy. Report to the Secretary for the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1995. Does technology know where it's going? In Agarian Questions: The Politics of Farming Anno 1995
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1995. The diagnosis is accurate, but what's the prognosis?, or, if indigenous peoples are caught on the horns of a dilemma, can they get down to where the cake is? The Common Property Resource Digest 36:6--7
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. and M. Balick. 1995. Property rights and genetic resources: A framework for analysis. In: Medicinal Resources of the Tropical Forest: Biodiversity and its Importance to Human Health (M. Balick and S. Laird eds.). Columbia University Press, New York, New York
• Kloppenburg, J. and T. Gonzales. 1994. Between state and capital: NGOs as allies of indigenous peoples. In: Intellectual Property Rights for Indigenous Peoples, A Sourcebook (T. Greaves ed.). Society for Applied Anthropology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr. 1994. The Perils of Bilateralism: Bioprospecting contracts and the FAO Undertaking., Rome, Italy. Report to the Secretary for the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• Kloppenburg, J., Jr (ed.) (ed.). Sophisticated Science, Primitive Accumulation: Bioprospecting, Ecoliberalism, and the New World Order. in progress.