329) Kristina Lyons: Soil as cultural, relational, historical

What does it mean to "see" soil beyond their chemistry and biology—understanding also their cultural, relational, and historical embodiment? How have Colombian small and Indigenous farmers resisted—and thrived—even amidst decades of armed conflicts, scientific colonization, and epistemological and ontological violences?

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Kristina Lyons, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, whose current research is situated at the interfaces of socio-ecological conflicts, transitional justice, community-based forms of reconciliation, militarized psychologies, and science and legal studies in Colombia.

Her book, Vital Decomposition, weaves together an intimate ethnography of two kinds of practitioners: state soil scientists and small farmers who attempt to cultivate alternatives to commercial coca crops and the military-led, growth-oriented development paradigms intended to substitute them.

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Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast and multimedia journal exploring our paths to collective healing, biocultural revitalization, and true abundance and wellness for all. Find our show notes, transcripts, and newsletters at GreenDreamer.com.

*Our episodes are minimally edited; please view them as open invitations to dive into every topic and resource explored.