The Geopolitics and Biopolitics of Astrobotany and Extraterrestrial Agriculture.

Space security is widely framed through a lens of kinetic and non-kinetic threats, giving prominence to physical dangers like space debris, anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, and cyber attacks. Research on how non-military activities such as space agriculture might influence both orbital and terrestrial (in)security dynamics is, however, lagging. This podcast-dialogue will analyse astrobotany and space agriculture from a security (geopolitical and biopolitical) perspective.

The dialogue is inspired by findings of the “Space Farming Project,” initiated by the international SEADS network. The project demonstrated that agriculture in outer space will be extremely technologically mediated due to the limited resources and hostile conditions in which crops will be cultivated. The extreme dependence on technology and atomised commodification of life-supporting resources will exacerbate inequalities and power concentrations. These effects will not be limited to outer space, but are likely to also impact terrestrial security and geopolitics, as space is projected to be the final frontier for food security on Earth. The conversation…