{"product_id":"the-sovereign-poison-glyphosate-poisoncraft-and-regulatory-politics-paperback","title":"The Sovereign Poison: Glyphosate, Poisoncraft, and Regulatory Politics - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eTom Widger\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Growing concerns over pesticide exposure have fueled calls for stricter regulations. Yet governments--often constrained by the pressures of global markets--frequently fall short of implementing effective controls. \u003ci\u003eThe Sovereign Poison\u003c\/i\u003e explores the failed efforts of both the European Parliament and the Sri Lankan government to ban glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide. Introducing the concept of \"poisoncraft,\" Tom Widger delves into the cultural beliefs and practices surrounding poison that played a key role in these controversies, and traces humanity's long and complex relationship with toxic substances. Using a wide-angle anthropological lens, this book examines poison in its many forms--as a tool of witchcraft and magic, a language of value and exchange, a discourse of nationalist politics, and a foundational element of the global food system. By illuminating the intersections of science, politics, and regulation with public demands for sovereign control, Widger reveals the deeper cultural logics and power dynamics that underpin the global governance of pesticides.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDetailing how and why harmful chemicals are not better controlled, Tom Widger's book also provides a surprising account of how central the idea of poison is to sovereign state power.--Becky Mansfield, Professor of Geography, The Ohio State University \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Widger provides an excellent contribution to anthropological scholarship on toxicity, via pesticides. He advances 'poisoncraft, ' a compelling theoretical framework to examine relations between nation-state, regulation, and governance in comparative perspective.\"--Ciara Kierans, author of \u003ci\u003eChronic Failures: Kidneys, Regimes of Care, and the Mexican State\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Welcome to the Age of Toxicity, a time when statecraft has become poisoncraft. \u003ci\u003eThe Sovereign Poison\u003c\/i\u003e offers a comprehensive, gripping account of how industries, governments, and everyday citizens construct and contest a chemically saturated world.\"--Alex M. Nading, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Cornell University\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTom Widger \u003c\/b\u003eis Professor of Anthropology at Durham University and author of \u003ci\u003eSuicide in Sri Lanka: The Anthropology of an Epidemic\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 262\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.9 x 5.9 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 14, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53329213849907,"sku":"9780520302396","price":69.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/UX01u8Twxb9780520302396.webp?v=1778161773","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/the-sovereign-poison-glyphosate-poisoncraft-and-regulatory-politics-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}