Imperialism has returned to public debate, appearing in protest movements as well as academic research. But what does it look like when wealth is transferred across borders without military occupation? In Commodifying Plunder, Rammelt addresses this question through the concept of unequal exchange: the movement of value from the periphery to the centre of the world economy through trade. 

The book argues that this transfer can take place through market transactions that appear ordinary and mutually beneficial. Rammelt calls the process “commodified plunder”, drawing attention to forms of extraction that are difficult to see when trade is understood only in terms of prices. The presentation will offer an opportunity to explore the book’s argument and discuss its implications for global inequality, development and sustainability. 

Crelis Rammelt is an associate professor at the University of Amsterdam, specialising in environmental geography and international development studies. His research spans political ecology, ecological economics, degrowth and questions of justice. He has also coordinated an action research and water justice programme with communities in Bangladesh and helped establish Ontgroei, the Dutch degrowth platform. 

An open access PDF of the book is available online. Information about ordering a print copy can be found on the same page.