MEMORIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMIES OF FOOD-BASED LIVING MEMORY

Abstract

ABSTRACT All memorials emerge in place from the work of individuals with vested interests in their commemoration. Geographers have long paid attention to the intricacies and connections of memory, heritage, and commemoration; however, not all memorials take the form of a street sign, statue, or building name. The increasing use of living memorials, such as survivor trees, gardens, and heirloom plants complicate existing understandings of the political economy and political ecology of living memory. One overlooked area of intrigue is the use of varieties of food-based plants to commemorate individuals. This paper, using archival methods to build a database of 259 named varieties, traces the memorial entrepreneurs of living memory across time and space in the Global North to better understand political and economic motivations, and their linkages with the food systems that create them. As food systems increasingly industrialize, we see similar patterns of commercialization and resilience in the practice of living memorialization.