The extractive loops of biocapital: Venom procurement and antivenom production in India

Abstract

A growing body of research and scholarship has examined the exploitation of animals by the biopharmaceutical industry, framing it variously in terms of labour, commodification, or hybrid processes. This article adds to the discussion through an ethnography of antivenom manufacturing in India. It introduces the concept of ‘extractive loops’ embedding species, locations, and work practices. Extractive loops form a continuum through which non-human life contributes to the manufacturing of resources (raw materials and finished products). The argument relies on a description of the operations required by the production of antivenom, involving: (a) several animal species (mostly snakes, horses, and rodents), (b) connections between a multiplicity of locations, from outdoor fields to industrial sites, (c) a wide range of professional practices, some of them strictly formalized whereas others are mainly informal (such as snake catching), and (d) heterogeneous exploitation of non-human life and products. Extractive loops highlight a key feature of animal exploitation: a recurring series of extractive practices contributing to the continuous fabrication of natural resources.