Amitav Ghosh criticizes literary system's conservatism on environmental issues

At the Festivaletteratura in Mantova, author Amitav Ghosh discussed the evolution of environmental themes in literature. He noted that while more contemporary novels are now aware of the planetary crisis, the literary ecosystem has historically been “very, very conservative,” often marginalizing environmental authors by categorizing them as genre fiction rather than serious literature.

Ghosh also addressed the critical link between the environment and food security. Drawing on his experiences in Bengal, he highlighted the loss of biodiversity, noting a significant decline in freshwater fish species and rice varieties. He attributed these changes to industrial agriculture and the dominance of a few large corporations controlling the market through GMOs, describing this trend as a threat to humanity potentially as grave as climate change or artificial intelligence.