A Spiteful Campaign: Agriculture, Forests, and Administering the Environment in Imperial Singapore and Malaya

A study reveals that the establishment of bureaucratic structures for agriculture and forestry in Imperial Singapore and Malaya in the late 19th century prioritized capitalist interests over scientific principles, leading to significant environmental transformation. The research highlights how disputes between botanists and bureaucrats, though rooted in shared imperial goals, facilitated large-scale deforestation and plantation expansion, setting a precedent for environmental exploitation in Southeast Asia during the 20th century. The analysis draws on historical records and debates from the Singapore Botanic Gardens to illustrate how economic imperatives increasingly overshadowed scientific knowledge in shaping land use policies.

Barnard, T. P., & Lee, J. W. C. (2022). A Spiteful Campaign: Agriculture, Forests, and Administering the Environment in Imperial Singapore and Malaya. Environmental History, 27(3), 467–490. https://doi.org/10.1086/719685