French Ecological Imperialism: A Postcolonial Approach

Abstract

AbstractEcological 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.