Jarren Richards

Jarren is a second year doctoral student in the Department of Geography at York University. Broadly speaking, his areas of research are: political economy, nature-society relations, industrialization, agrarian transition and transnational capitalism. A Mitacs Globalink Scholar, Jarren is currently studying the rapid growth of special economic zones (SEZs) in India's income-poor/resource-rich regions. Emphasizing the transnational nature of the current 'Make in India' program, Jarren's ethnographic fieldwork foregrounds the POSCO-Odisha project - the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project in India’s history - which has been delayed for over a decade in the face of widespread grassroots resistance. In addition to his academic work, Jarren is also a ‘new’ media producer, freelancing as both a documentary filmmaker and podcast host. His most recent documentary project, 'Shimla’s Apples', highlights the effects of climate change on horticultural production in the Western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh). Jarren holds a BA in Sociology from St. Thomas University and a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University.