Discussing the common(s) in neoliberal Capitalism: from Ontology to Politics

This article intends to think the relationship between neoliberal capitalism and the common(s). First, it ties to define the common both in ontological and political terms, stressing the similarities and differences between the common, commons and common goods. Then, it characterizes their relationship with neoliberal capitalism in terms of dispossession, expropriation and configuration. Finally, it discusses if the common can be thought as an alternative form of cooperation and self-government with regards to neoliberalism and to what extent it can be posed as a complete alternative to the state

Environment, politics and governance in Latin America

No abstract available

Biodiversity-based supply chains of the Cerrado biome: opportunities and obstacles

Agribusiness expansion has led to the conversion of almost half of the Brazilian Cerrado native vegetation area in monoculture, pastures and wood plantations. Although family-farming activities based on the collection of native fruits and plants could represent an alternative to the expanding high-impact agribusinesses in the Cerrado, their supply chains are poorly documented. We analyzed the obstacles that rural communities face to develop Cerrado biodiversity–based supply chains. Data was gathered in semi-structured interviews with agro-extractivists and other actors of the supply chain, during visits to farms and local markets between 2015 and 2018. The Cerrado Biodiversity-based supply chains present a high diversity of food products, but only some of them belong to a local food heritage and few generate significant cash incomes and have a high potential for trade. The development of these supply chains requires public policies that could address market access issues by focusing on marketing, legislation requirements, transportation and processes management

Revisiting and revitalizing political ecology in the American West

Political ecology, initially conceived to better understand the power relations implicit in management and distribution of natural resources in the developing world, came “home” to the American West in the 1990s and 2000s. This groundswell of research did much to problematize socio-environmental conflicts in the region, long typified by tensions over land and resources, identity and belonging, autonomy and authority. Since first touching down in the West, however, the “big tent” of political ecology has only grown bigger, incorporating new perspectives, epistemologies, and ontologies. At the same time, the nexus of environment and society is perhaps even more salient today, amid a regional conjuncture of populist revolt, climate change, and rapid political economic transformation. Here we reflect on three longstanding regional concerns – energy development, wolf reintroduction, and participatory governance – leveraging the pluralism of contemporary political ecology to better understand their contemporary incarnations. In so doing, we highlight the need to bring together insights from both “traditional” approaches and newer directions to better understand and engage contemporary challenges, with their heightened stakes and complexity. Such an approach demonstrates what we might learn about global processes in this place, as well as what insights regional praxis (often woefully provincial) might gain from elsewhere – new ways of seeing and doing political ecology. Our goal is to generate discussion among and between political ecologists and regional critical scholars, initiating new collaborative engagements that might serve the next wave of political ecology in the 21st century American West

Birthing extractivism : The role of the state in forestry politics and development in Uruguay

This study examines the role of states in developing contemporary extractivism based on recent investments and project plans in industrial forestry in Uruguay. This sheds light on several unanswered questions related to the role of the state and civil society in the governance, politics, and political economy of extractivism. The role played by states in contemporary extractive investments is a topic that requires studies that do more than simply analyse whether that role is strong or weak. Instead the focus should be on how states promote such investments, and on the political and socio-economic consequences thereof. Our analysis shows that the multiple roles of states need to be better understood when explaining the role of states in endorsing and expanding extractivism and its effect on the broader societal governance of business conduct. Our analysis indicates severe and negative developmental and socio-economic outcomes of pulp investments in Uruguay, which are hard if not impossible to transform as corporations can now use the investment protection laws – created by the government to regulate the state conduct – to restrict the possibilities of civil society and state actions.Peer reviewe

Concepts, Theories and Empirical Evidence

This course offers insights into the dynamics and outcomes of current social conflicts over extractivism in Latin America (particularly in the Andean region). It is structured as follows: Firstly, it will present some conceptual and theoretical insights related to the study of social conflicts in general and conflicts over nature in particular. Then it will proceed to an analysis of current conflicts over extractivism in Latin America: the different types, causes, processes of mobilization and organization-building, structural factors that shape them and outcomes. Each session contains recommendations for preparatory reading

Contested Relations Between Resource Extraction and Alternatives to Development : The Case of Lithium Production in Bolivia

Tämä Pro Gradu-tutkielma tarkastelee ekstraktivismin ja Bolivialaisen vaihtoehdon kehitykselle välistä suhdetta Bolivian Salar de Uyunissa tapahtuvan litiumtuotannon kautta. Viimeisten kymmenen vuoden aikana presidentti Evo Moralesin hallinto on tuonut konseptin Vivir Bien, elää hyvin, Bolivian valtion virallisiin strategioihin ja korvannut sillä ainakin osittain ‘kehityksen’ käsitteen. Vivir Bien perustuu alkuperäiskansojen kosmologioihin, joissa sosiaalinen oikeudenmukaisuus, yhteisöllisyys ja luonnon ja ihmisen välinen yhteys ovat prioriteetteja eikä luontoa pitäisi redusoida taloudellisiksi resursseiksi, mutta käytännössä Bolivian taloudellinen riippuvaisuus luonnonvarojen käytöstä on vain pahentunut tänä aikana. Bolivian litiumvarannot ovat laajat, ja litiumilla on kasvavat markkinat. Sen käyttötarkoitukset liittyvät mm. hiiliperäisten energialähteiden korvaaviin ekologisesti kestävämpiin vaihtoehtoihin. Mutta litiumin tuottaminen vaatii teknistä osaamista, ja näin ollen sen teollistaminen verrattain köyhässä ja matalan koulutustason maassa on haastavaa. Tämän tutkielman pääasiallisena metodologiana on puolistrukturoitu kvalitatiivinen haastattelututkimus, jota täydennetään aiheeseen liittyvien poliittisten dokumenttien ja akateemisten tutkimusten kriittisellä analyysillä. Empiiriset löydökset tuovat ilmi ongelmia projektin suunnittelussa, läpinäkyvyydessä, päätöksenteon keskittyneisyydessä, sekä epämääräisyyksiä alueen ympäristön kannalta. Tutkielma kontribuoi akateemiseen kirjallisuuteen, jossa on osoitettu, että vaikka Vivir Bien on ideologisella tasolla lupaava ja mielenkiintoinen vaihtoehto kehitykselle, se on jäänyt sovelluksessa poliittiseen toimintaan pitkälti retoriseksi työkaluksi, ja Moralesin hallinnon käytännön toimet muistuttavat enemmän neo-ekstraktivista ihmiskeskeistä kehitystä. Lisäksi se tarjoaa lisänäyttöä neo-ekstraktivismin sisäsyntyisistä ongelmista talouspoliittisena strategiana. Löydökset myös korostavat resurssinationalismin merkitystä Bolivian politiikassa, ja tämä tutkimus argumentoi, että resurssinationalismi toimii siltana näennäisesti ristiriitaisten konseptien Vivir Bien ja ekstraktivismi välillä.This Master’s thesis examines the contested relations between extractivism and Bolivian endogenous view of ‘development’ through the case of lithium production in Bolivian Salar de Uyuni, Potosí. During the past ten years under president Evo Morales’s administration, Bolivia has introduced the concept of Vivir Bien, living well, in official state strategies replacing at least to an extent the concept of development. Vivir Bien is based on indigenous cosmologies that hold social justice, community and being one with the nature as priorities, and according to these ideals, nature should not be reduced to a commodity. But in practice dependency on extractions of natural resources in Bolivia has only increased in this time period. Lithium deposits in Bolivia are vast, and lithium is a growing industry that could be coupled with sustainable alternatives to hydrocarbon-based sources of energy. But industrialising a high-expertise raw material in a poor and fairly uneducated country such as Bolivia is a complicated endeavour. The principle methodology this research uses is semi-structured qualitative interviewing, which is complemented by critical analysis of policy documents and academic studies that connect with the topic. The empirical findings of the lithium production project unveil issues with planning, transparency and the centralisation of decision making, as well as dubiousness in regard to the environment of the area. The thesis contributes to the academic literature that has shown that while Vivir Bien is a promising and interesting alternative to development at an ideological level, in political practice it remains to a large part a rhetorical instrument and actual politics of the Morales administration can be described as neo-extractivist human development. Additionally, it offers further demonstration of the inherent contradictions within neo-extractivism as a political economic strategy. The findings also underline the significance of resource nationalism in Bolivian politics, which this research argues that functions as a bridge between seemingly incongruous Vivir Bien and extractivism

Domesticating forests : how farmers manage forest resources

Local people in South-east Asia are often cited as skilled forest managers. It is barely acknowledged that an essential part of this forest management does not concern natural forests, but forests that have been planted, often after the removal of pre-existing natural forests; forests that are cultivated not by professional foresters, but by sedentary or swidden farmers, on their farmlands; forests that are based not on exotic, fast-growing trees, but on local tree species, and harbour an incredible variety of plant and animal species. This book concentrates on forest cultivation by smallholder farmers in South-east Asia, not only because it constitutes altogether the most original and lesser known aspect of local forest management in the region, but also because, it represents the most promising field for the design of alternative strategies for the management of forest resources and forest lands. Natural forests are still present and actively managed in the region. So, why do people cut natural forests to replant the same species of forest trees they have just chopped down? Why have professional foresters, or the decision-makers in forest management, never seriously considered these examples of indigenous forest culture, however sustainable and profitable they may be? Many elements of the answer to these questions are given in this book, which is built on the conclusions of 10 years of multidisciplinary research and analysis on these systems. It shows how forest culture by farmers constitutes a strategy that questions the practical, conceptual and legal aspects of conventional forest management. It speaks for more scientific and political support to these systems, because they are altogether neglected, endangered and full of potential. Further it explains a why it is important to consider these examples as interesting alternative models to either forest extraction or specialized forest plantations, especially in the present context of depletion of natural forests all over the planet. Can the transfer of these original examples to other parts of the world be achieved? How can it be successful? This book helps to answer these important questions

Past and current policy issues concerning tropical deforestation in Brazil

This paper discusses past and current policies concerning tropical deforestation in Brazil. In the last few years, the Brazilian government has reviewed and changed many aspects of past policies that encouraged deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon forest. Although the new set of policies is not fully implemented and, therefore, its effectiveness in controlling deforestation cannot yet be measured, a qualitative analysis of these policies suggests that they should enhance forest preservation in Brazil.