By Frances Thomson, Patrick Meehan & Jonathan Goodhand (02 Apr 2024):

his article and the forum it introduces examine illicit drug crop (IDC) economies from agrarian perspectives. Examining IDCs as a group implies analysing how prohibition distinguishes them from other (licit) crops. We identify seven mechanisms through which prohibition shapes the agrarian political economy of IDCs and explore how these mechanisms and their effects generate distinctive patterns of development and political action amongst ‘illicit peasantries’. We also examine connections between illicit and licit crops, including how licit crop crises and illicit crop booms intertwine. We argue that IDC economies provide a bulwark for smallholders but are by no means peasant idylls.

The Journal of Peasant Studies. 2024. 39p.

By Tena Prelec

In recent years, concerns have grown regarding information manipulation, particularly in relation to the disinformation tactics employed by authoritarian regimes. Our research delves into the intriguing, lesser-explored realm of organised crime (OC) groups' involvement in shaping information landscapes. Drawing from Nicholas Barnes' 'political criminality' concept, we investigate how OC crime groups manipulate information in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Russia, Moldova (Transnistria), and Albania.

We explore the impact of evolving technology on OC groups' narrative-shaping abilities, their media ownership, and their role in the global political economy of offshore finance. This research offers a deeper understanding of the threats associated with information manipulation by non-state actors. It also presents an analytical framework for future studies. Dive into the full report to uncover the hidden facets of this intriguing topic in today's world.

SOC ACE Research Paper 22. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham, 2023. 44p.