Introducing bees and establishing new relations: an analysis of the introduction of african bees in Brazil through the concept of nonsoels by Anna Tsing.

Abstract

This article aims to explore the introduction of African bees (Apis mellifera scutellata) into Brazil in 1956 by scientists from ESALq, funded by a Rockefeller Foundation grant, as well as their spread throughout the Americas starting in 1957 (with the well-known episode of their escape). For this case study, we will use the concept of nonsoels, developed by the American anthropologist Anna Tsing (2012). Working with the dynamics of human and non-human movement around the globe, Tsing developed a tool capable of unveiling the interconnection and ecological, economic, and social implications arising from the introduction of species into new environments, as well as their removal from their original habitats. We will address the dynamics that shaped Brazilian beekeeping in the mid-20th century, establishing a differentiation between the period before and after the introduction of A. m. scutellata. Particular focus will be given to the relationship between an international science production model promoted by the Rockefeller Foundation between the 1930s and 1950s, and the intention to grow and standardize the economic practices of Brazilian beekeepers during this period. We conclude that the entry of African bees into Brazil was part of a context in which proposals for scientific production and economic practices in beekeeping sought to formalize and homogenize, each in its particular way. However, this homogenizing pursuit encountered a significant challenge in the uncontrolled spread of the bees, highlighting that animal agency is capable of reconfiguring both economic and scientific activities.