Bram Büscher

Bram Büscher is Professor and Chair of the Sociology of Development and Change at Wageningen University and a visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg. His academic work bridges political ecology, conservation studies, and critical analyses of digital technologies' impact on environmentalism.

His research interests focus on the critical examination of contemporary conservation practices, particularly how platform capitalism and post-truth politics reshape environmental discourse and action. He investigates the contradictions in mainstream conservation approaches, especially the tension between market-based solutions and genuine biodiversity protection. His fieldwork in Southern Africa, particularly in Lesotho, has informed his critique of neoliberal conservation models and his advocacy for radical alternatives.

Büscher's publications reveal a consistent analytical thread examining how digital technologies, particularly social media platforms, transform environmental advocacy. His work shows how platform capitalism mediates environmental concerns, often reinforcing rather than challenging the structural drivers of ecological destruction. He has developed a sophisticated critique of 'techno-solutionism' in conservation, including blockchain applications and cryptocurrency approaches to environmental protection.

His influential books, including The Conservation Revolution (co-authored with Robert Fletcher) and The Truth about Nature: Environmentalism in the Era of Post-Truth Politics and Platform Capitalism, have shaped contemporary debates about radical alternatives to mainstream conservation. His special section on 'Political Ecologies of Extinction' demonstrates his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that connect theoretical innovation with empirical fieldwork.

Büscher actively engages with policy debates, critiquing international conservation agreements like the 30x30 biodiversity treaty for failing to address root causes of environmental destruction. His field research along the Lewis and Clark heritage trail examines historical connections between settler colonialism, conservation practices, and capitalist development patterns in the United States.