In Dissimilar Coffee Frontiers Sven Van Melkebeke offers an account of the divergent development of coffee production in eastern Congo and western Rwanda during the colonial period.

Coercive Geographies examines historical and contemporary forms of coercion and constraint exercised by a wide range of actors in diverse settings. It links the question of spatial confines to that of labor.

This is the first world history of peasants. Peasants in World History analyzes the multiple transformations of peasant life through history by focusing on three primary areas: the organization of peasant societies, their integration within wider societal structures, and the changing connections between local, regional and global processes. Peasants have been a vital component in human history over the last 10,000 years, with nearly one-third of the world’s population still living a peasant lifestyle today. Their role as rural producers of ever-new surpluses instigated complex and often-opposing processes of social and spatial change throughout the world. Eric Vanhaute frames this social change in a story of evolving peasant frontiers. These frontiers provide a global comparative-historical lens to look at the social, economic and ecological changes within village-systems, agrarian empires and global capitalism. Bringing the story of the peasantry up through the modern period and looking to the future, the author offers a succinct overview with students in mind. This book is recommended reading to anyone interested in the history and future of peasantries and is a valuable addition to undergraduate and graduate courses in World History, Global Economic History, Global Studies and Rural Sociology.

Soil harbours a wide range of microorganisms with biotic potentials which can be explored for social benefits. The book Frontiers in Soil and Environmental Microbiology comprises an overview of the complex inter-relationship between beneficial soil microbes and crop plants, and highlights the potential for utilisation to enhance crop productivity, bioremediation and soil health. The book focusses on important areas of research such as biocide production, pesticide degradation and detoxification, microbial decay processes, remediation of soils contaminated with toxic metals, industrial wastes, and hydrocarbon pollutants. Features Presents the state of the art of microbial research in environmental and soil microbiology Discusses an integrated and systematic compilation of microbes in the soil environment and its role in agriculture and plant growth and productivity Elucidates microbial application in environmental remediation Explores advanced genomics topics for uncultivable microbes of soil

This book provides a broad overview of Professor Raimo Väyrynen’s academic work, his role in international research organizations, and his contributions to policy debates. It offers an interesting review of important political issues during the time span of half a century, from disarmament in Europe to the changing relationship between state sovereignty and transnational forces. Väyrynen has dealt with the changing agenda of peace and international relations, security and the arms race, and the world economy. This book provides comprehensive analyses of the regional and systemic structure of international relations, with the emphasis on conflicts and warfare between nations. It argues that while states, even smaller ones, still matter, transnational issues are increasingly important. Taking a historical perspective, the articles suggest that large-scale violence and arms races have been recurrent and cyclical phenomena in international relations. These events reflect the deep-seated inequalities in the political and economic systems which, moreover, vary considerably between regions. The publication is important reading for any researcher as well as students, policy-makers and the science-oriented public at large. • Traces the changing agenda of international relations from disarmament and the world economy to the changing relationship between state sovereignty and transnational forces. • Provides analyses of the regional and systemic structure in international relations, with the emphasis on conflicts and warfare. • Argues that large-scale violence and the arms race have been recurrent and cyclical phenomena in international relations. • Reviews important political issues from peace and conflict in Europe to the changing power relationship in the world.