Book II: A Cash Crop
In 2019, four years after the publication of Ayahuasca, Iquitos and Monster Vorax, A Cash Crop came to light. Against the backdrop of ayahuasca tourism in Iquitos, this second installment of the series explores the way in which Banisteriopsis caapi, that is, ayahuasca, is being affected by worldwide demand. In the early years of my fieldwork, when my attention was focused on understanding the motivations of various parties, the magnitude of the business, or ritual changes, it was common to hear comments regarding the growing difficulty of finding quality vine in the forest, or the consequent increase in prices. To what extent can we speak of overexploitation? How do the commercial chains work? How has it affected local communities?
English translation by Cecilia Bartolomé Grande and Andrew Lee Jackson
INTRODUCTION
I. THAT VILLAGE BESIDE A LODGE
II. A PRODUCTIVE PLANTATION (AND ITS ATTENTIVE OWNER)
III. A PLAGUE AND A CHARACTER
IV. THE TRIBULATIONS OF RON WHEELOCK & CO.
V. AN INDUSTRY IS BORN
VI. THE TEMPLE'S DREAM
CRAZYLOGUES
Initially, the Ayahuasca, Iquitos and Monster Vorax book series had a price of 10 dollars. Although it's now freely accessible, fieldwork still costs money. If you've enjoyed these two books and want to see a third installment, I encourage you to make a donation for the original price. There are many new things to tell, and I also want to know what will have become of Ron Wheelock, of Juan Curico, of the million-dollar business, of the long-suffering Banisteriopsis.