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Ben’s research explores how global value chains shape labour inequality and environmental destruction, and how alternative economic models can advance social and ecological justice.

The prize

Professor of International Relations Ben Selwyn has won the 2026 British International Studies Association (BISA) International Political Economy Group (IPEG) book prize for Capitalist Value Chains: Labour Exploitation, Nature Destruction, Geopolitics, co-authored with Professor Christin Bernhold (University of Hamburg).

The prize recognises outstanding scholarship in International Political Economy (IPE) and judges praised the book as “an excellent, engaging, and inclusive piece of scholarship” for its accessible analysis of capitalism and global supply chains.

Uncovering exploitation

Capitalist Value Chains challenges the view that global supply chains promote growth, development and sustainability. Instead, it examines how labour exploitation, environmental destruction and competition between firms drive uneven development and geopolitical tensions.

Ben explains: “The media and academia often treat global supply chains as drivers of development and sustainability. Our book, by contrast, shows how global supply chains are in fact capitalist value chains, rooted in labour exploitation, endless competitive accumulation between firms and environmental expropriation.

“I'm delighted the book has been awarded the BISA IPEG prize and I’m grateful to the brilliant Sussex colleagues and students in my department, and for the sabbatical time that made sustained research possible for me.”

The book has also been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Deutscher Memorial Prize, which recognises outstanding contributions to Marxist scholarship.

Research and wider contributions

Ben’s research explores how global value chains shape labour inequality and environmental destruction, and how alternative economic models can advance social and ecological justice. He also conducts policy-oriented research on transforming food systems, including proposals for a green new deal for agriculture and community restaurants.

Named a Top Scholar by ScholarGPS in 2024, Ben regularly writes for publications including The Conversation, The Independent and Le Monde Diplomatique. He has also been recognised by The Notable People Project for his contributions to understanding global value chains, labour and development, particularly the role of workers’ power in tackling poverty and inequality.

The IPEG Book Prize highlights the strength of International Relations research at Sussex, with the University securing three of the five nominations for this year’s shortlist, including books by Professor Peter Newell and former postgraduate researcher Marieke Beck.

You can read the BISA prize announcement and find out more about the International Political Economy Working Group.