Breadfruit: Three Global Journeys of a Bountiful Tree

In this wide-ranging and vividly reported history, geographer Russell Fielding traces the global life of the breadfruit tree, from its origins in Southeast Asia to its continuing role in food systems across the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Africa.

His narrative is shaped not just by historical research but by travel—Fielding visits the places where breadfruit has been cultivated, eaten, and celebrated, tracing the tree’s presence in communities across centuries and continents.

The book follows three major arcs: the first, breadfruit’s early spread across Oceania, where it sustained long-distance voyaging; the second, its fraught introduction to the Caribbean in the shadow of colonial plantation economies; and the third, its emerging reputation as a climate-resilient crop with potential for global impact. Along the way, Fielding draws on conversations with farmers, cooks, scientists, and keepers of traditional knowledge, giving voice to the diverse communities that have kept the tree relevant over millennia.

Breadfruit is both an engaging story and a carefully argued case study in how food moves, adapts, and endures.

Paperback. Black-and-white photographs.