Erna Bennett: The Gay Communist who Fought Nazis & The Green Revolution

The Poor Prole’s Almanac

Erna Bennett was a plant geneticist and one of the early pioneers of genetic conservation (biodiversity conservation). She was one of the first to raise the issue of biodiversity loss at the United Nations, and challenged the narrative of the Green Revolution being the solution to food security on a global scale.

Not only was she an advocate for local diversity, she was a pilot in World War 2, defected to join the antifascists in Greece, and spent her retirement trying to align Marxist values with ecologically-centered communism.

Happy pride month!

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To listen to Erna in her own words:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvPtCF4i-UZl8qEepMmXuVgHs9gGVK-VK

Sources:

1

http://www.geneconserve.pro.br/site/pags/biography3.php?id=17

2

Borschmann, G. (1994, November 21). Erna Bennett interviewed by Gregg Borschmann in the Environmental awareness in Australia oral history project. The Australia Oral History Project. other. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/513784.

3

https://www.smh.com.au/national/pioneer-of-plant-genetics-20120325-1vsom.html

4

Jackson PM (2012) Erna Bennett obituary. The Guardian, 8 February 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/ feb/08/erna-bennett-obituary

5

Hanelt, P., Knüpffer, H., & Hammer, K. (2012). Erna Bennett (5 August 1925–3 January 2012). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 59(6), 967–970. doi:10.1007/s10722-012-9872-0

6

Bennett E (1964b) Historical perspectives in genecology. In: Record of the Scottish Plant Breeding Station, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian, pp 49–115

7

Frankel OH, Agble W, Harlan JB, Bennett E (1969) Genetic dangers in the green revolution. Ceres, FAO. 2(5): 35–37 [reprinted 1970 as: The Green Revolution, Genetic Backlash. Ecologist 1(4):20–22].

8

Pistorius R (1997) Scientists, plants and politics—a history of the plant genetic resources movement. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome

9

https://grahamstevenson.me.uk/2011/08/25/bennett-erna/

10

Curry, H. A. (2022). Endangered maize: Industrial agriculture and the crisis of extinction. University of California Press.

11

Bennett E (1970) Genecology, genetic resources and plant breeding. Genet Agrar 24(3):210–220

12

Bennett E (1971) The origin and importance of agroecotypes in South West Asia. In: Davis PH, Harper PC, Hedge IC (eds) Plant life in South West Asia. Edinburgh Botanical Society, Edinburgh, pp 219–234

13

https://grain.org/e/289