The award of "Distinguished Economic Botanist (DEB)" is bestowed annually by the Society upon an individual on the basis of outstanding accomplishments pertinent to the goals of the Society. A nominee does not need to be a member of the Society. The Chairperson of the Nominations and Awards Committee shall be responsible for the citation which shall be published in Economic Botany. The only responsibility of the awardee shall be to present an address at the annual meeting the year of his/her selection. He/she shall become an honorary member of the Society for life.

Recipients of the Distinguished Economic Botanist award are:

2019 - Dr. John Rashford

John Rashford, Professor of Anthropology at the College of Charleston, South Carolina, committed his professional journey to observing the constructs of life, within the human context, viewed through the lens of an anthropologist/ethnobotanist.

For several decades, John has taken a leadership role in efforts to uncover the ethnobotany of Africans and especially the African diaspora.  He has spent many years tracing the circuitous routes of African people, plants, and plant traditions as they crossed the Atlantic. He has also done pioneering work with the genus Ficus in Brazil, the "tree of life" of the Candomble religion.  In all of his research, John brings a nuanced and culturally sensitive perspective from the humanities and social sciences to the study of plants and people. John has been recognized many times for his major contributions in education and research surrounding the fields of anthropology and ethnobotany.

From his perspective John considers that his time as President of the SEB, and Chairman of the organizing committee of the 50th Annual Conference in 2009, could be viewed as a signature moment in the flowering of his career.  Dr. Rashford exemplifies the oustanding accomplishments and spirit of a distinguished economic botanist and we are thrilled to honor him in this way.