Forest and Labor in Madagascar: From Colonial Concession to Global Biosphere

Forest and Labor in Madagascar . . . is a worthwhile contribution to [the] growing body of scholarship on the social ramifications of conservation efforts.

― Anthropology of Work Review

Forest and Labor in Madagascar is ethnographically rich, and anthropologists working in the developing South will recognize much that it covers.

― American Anthropologist

Those interested in conservation, tropical rainforest ecology, international political economy, and sustainable development will find Forest and Labor in Madagascar an insightful case study.

― Choice

Throughout the book, it is clear that Sodikoff has both a great knowledge of and a deep respect for the people and the environments of Madagascar. The result is a humane and approachable ethnography that would connect with both undergraduate and graduate students.

― American Ethnologist

Forest and Labor in Madagascar is a pertinent and well-timed contribution to the growing literature on green neo-liberalism and its consequences at a time when the term ‘salvage frontier’ is becoming applicable to ever-greater swathes of this planet.

― Journal of Modern African Studies

Through rich and thick ethnographic description, Forest and Labor in Madagascar delivers what its title promises: providing the reader with a historically informed and detailed overview of the relations between forest conservation and labour dynamics on the Malagasy Island. . . . [F]or those interested in a solid, rich, and detailed ethnography of socio-environmental change and those interested in the politics of nature and broader labour issues in Madagascar, this is an excellent read.

― Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

Clearly organized and wonderfully written, [this book] provides invaluable insights on how frontline conservation workers shape (or can’t) and fit within (or don’t) the convoluted workings of global conservation practice.

― Intl Jrnl African Historical Studies

[Sodikoff] takes her readers on a wonderful tour along the underbelly of conservation work in order to give them a clear understanding of how labour plays out in a political economy ruled mainly by conservation stakeholders.

― Africa

An important and lively contribution to the study of ‘green neoliberalism.’ An obvious choice for undergraduate teaching on ecology, rights, international political economy, development, and a host of other topics.

— David Graeber ― University of London