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Socializing Nature: Technoscience and the Transformation of Rapeseed into Canola

Dep. of Sociology, Michigan Agric. Exp. Stn., Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824-1111
Dep. of Sociology, Univ. of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148

Theodore Mentele, Masashi Tachikawa and Keiko Tanaka

Dep. of Socioloy, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824-1111

^* Corresponding author.

While the constructedness of manufactured products is obvious, plants and animals retain their naturalnes even as they are transformed. Yet, here is little doubt that the transformation of plants is a powerful method by which we socialize nature such that it better suits our purposes. This paper examines the transformation of rapeseed (Brassica campetris L. and B. napus L.) from a minor crop usd largely for marine lubricants into a major global competitor in edible oil markets. This transformation was brought about in part by the elimination of two components defined as potentially toxic, erucic acid and glucosinolates, as well as by changes in the location of production and processing techniques, and by the suitability of the crop for planting and harvesting by equipment designed for wheat. Of particular note is the role of the Canadian State in providing the large-scale financing necessary for the research to transform the commodity from a specialty crop into a bulk commodity.

Received for publication April 23, 1993.

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