French Literature Reviews - 2026

Buata B. Malela, L’Afrique-monde II. Géopolitique, cultures et imaginaires du riz
History, Politics and Society

L’Afrique-monde II examines rice both as a geopolitical operator and as a philosophical problem concerning the governance of the living. Combining critical geopolitics, political economy, and social philosophy, the book demonstrates how food functions as a technology of power at the intersection of sovereignty, global markets, and colonial legacies. From import policies and supply security strategies to food riots and agricultural diplomacy, rice emerges not only as an instrument of stabilization but also as an indicator of structural dependencies. The analysis explores state rationalities, the role of international institutions, and contemporary forms of biopolitics applied to populations. Challenging a strictly technicist view of food security, the volume proposes a normative approach to sovereignty rooted in collective capacity to determine the material conditions of existence.

Buata B. Malela is a Professor of 20th- and 21st-Century French and Francophone Literatures at the University of Limoges. A member of the EHIC research laboratory, his work focuses on Francophone literary discourse from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean, the sociology of literature, African intellectuals, and popular music. He is also the author of volume 1, L’Afrique-Monde : Le risque à l’épreuve du temps, de l’espace et du numérique.

The study of food systems, agricultural diplomacy, and state rationalities occupies a significant place in contemporary political economy and critical geopolitics. Scholars in these fields frequently examine how international institutions, import policies, and supply strategies shape structural dependencies across various regions. By treating everyday commodities as indexes of political organization, researchers analyze the intersections between global market mechanisms, historical legacies, and the material conditions of human populations.

Buata B. Malela is a Professor of 20th- and 21st-Century French and Francophone Literatures at the University of Limoges and a member of the EHIC research laboratory, with research focusing on Francophone literary discourse, the sociology of literature, African intellectuals, and popular music. He is also the author of volume 1, L’Afrique-Monde : Le risque à l’épreuve du temps, de l’espace et du numérique. Readers interested in contemporary political economy, food security discourses, and postcolonial studies may find this volume relevant to their inquiries.