Sarah Hardin

I study the history of agricultural development in postcolonial francophone West Africa, particularly among Pulaar speakers (also known as the Fulbe or Fulani) in southeastern Senegal.  I am researching the introduction of pesticides for cotton cultivation and the moral economies of pesticide-use.  I am interested in the ecological and social impacts of agricultural chemicals including the different repercussions for men and women.  I also consider the roles of political and religious authorities where the majority of the population is Muslim.  I seek to understand how local factors influence global patterns.  My work contributes to our knowledge of the socio-economic history of under-studied areas and peoples in West Africa and to the history of nation-building in modern Africa.