The papers presented in this collection offer a wide range of cases, from Asia, Africa and the Americas, and broadly cover the last two centuries, in which commodities have led to the consolidation of a globalised economy and society - forging this out of distinctive local experiences of cultivation and production, and regional circuits of trade.

Vibha Arora, Associate Professor, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India William Gervase Clarence-Smith, Professor, the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK Steve Cushion, Secretary, the University and Colleges Union (UCU), UK Teresita A. Levy, Assistant Professor, Lehman College, City University of New York, USA Patrick Neveling, Researcher, Historical Institute of the University of Berne, Switzerland Kaori O'Connor, Senior Research Fellow, University College London (UCL), UK Alan Pryor, Doctorate, University of Essex, UK Jonathan Robins, Assistant Professor, Michigan Technological University, USA Jean Stubbs, Professor Emerita, London Metropolitan University, UK Miguel Suárez Bosa, Professor, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) Jelmer Vos, Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University, USA