The Environment vs Development Dilemma in Latin America in a Postcolonial Context
Jessie Hu
Introduction
Background and Context
Facing unprecedented environmental challenges in multitudinous areas, environmental degradation is labelled as a top long-term risk globally (World Economic Forum, 2023). In the context of a global environmental catastrophe, one particularly vulnerable region is Latin America. Often neglected in research, this region contains nearly half of the world’s tropical forests, one third of freshwater reserves, one quarter of available arable land, as well as being home to diverse range of marine and terrestrial flora and fauna (Castro, Hogenboom and Baud, 2016), meaning it is filled with natural wealth. Despite its intrinsic ecological importance, the region is suffering one of the worst rates of environmental degradation.
Nonetheless, in light of the region’s colonial past, the ideals of environmental protection come into conflict with the pursuit of developmental objectives (Persadie and Ramlogan, 2005). From extractive exploitation of minerals and cash crops during Spanish colonisation, to state-led transformation of “wastelands” to industrial lands under modernisation initiatives in the 20th century (Soluri, Leal and Padua, 2018), and even the most recent infrastructure and export projects under China’s “go-global” strategy (Soutar, 2015), the region has been entangled in pursuits of development (particularly economic) as an attempt to eliminate poverty and its “Third World” status.
According to mainstream developmental perspectives, the link between development and environment is subject to an important tradeoff: while developing states aim to positively develop, the process of development is often based on resource-intensive and environmentally harmful agricultural and industrial growth (Antle and Heidebrink, 1995).
This research project will provide an overview of the causes, effects and potential resolutions for the environment versus development dilemma in Latin America, conceptualising the dilemma into the postcolonial narrative.
Problem statement
The problem this study addresses is the intersection between postcolonialism, development and environment in Latin America. In the past, the subject of postcolonialism, development and environment has been rigorously established in academia and attempts have been made to bridge two of these subjects at a time - such as postcolonial development (postcolonialism and development), postcolonial ecocriticism (postcolonialism and environment), and sustainability studies (development and environment). Nonetheless, despite the close-knit relationship of these three subjects, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that invigorate the relationship between all three subjects. In a more practical sense, there is limited study of how to reconcile the dilemma between developmental growth and environmental protection in Latin America. Focusing on synthesising postcolonialism, development and environment can help develop more robust theories, unearth the root causes of Latin America’s ‘awkward’ position in the political economy of the environment, as well as potentially informing future policy pathways and objectives.
Objectives
Given existing knowledge gaps, this study aims to address the following research questions:
How has Latin America’s colonial history shaped its developmental models and pathways?
To what extent has Latin America’s developmental models impacted environmental degradation?
How do Latin America’s developmental models come into conflict with environmental protection?
What are some potential strategies to improve the intersection between developmental growth and environmental protection?
Is sustainable development achievable in Latin America?
What is the relationship between colonialism, development and environment?
Preliminary Literature Review
Literature on the relationship between colonialism and development
Various theories have attempted to conceptualise the relationship between colonialism and development. Modernization theory, headed by Western scholars, implies a positive relationship between colonialism and development. Modernization theory suggests that imitating the West and adopting modern institutions (such as technologies and practices of previous colonisers) can set societies on track to socioeconomic development (Herkenrath & Bornschier, 2003). However, the theory itself rests on a colonial mindset, as it fails (or intentionally chooses) to consider historical influences and overlooks international influences on a country’s development (Shroom, 2000).
On the other hand, dependency theory reflects an inverse relationship between colonialism and development. Underpinning Marxist ideologies, dependency theory suggests that colonial structures have sowed the creation of feeder economies, whereby the developmental path of former colonies remain controlled by their imperial masters (Paul, 1957). Nonetheless, dependency theory falls short of accounting for the complexity of the sources of development and underdevelopment, as it overlooks domestic factors in development and views dependency and non-dependency as binary developmental statuses rather than a continuum (Ray, 1973). Further to the two traditional approaches, Mahoney (2010) has also proposed a more eclectic approach for conceptualising the relationship between colonialism and development ; his comparative approach suggests that the effect of colonialism on development depends on the political economic institutions of the colonising power. Concretely, mercantilist colonialism leads to an inverse relationship between colonialism and development, whereas liberal colonialism leads to a positive relationship. In the case of Latin America under Portuguese and Spanish colonisation, the mercantilist colonial experience has shaped the extractive economies of the region that rely on exporting primary materials internationally. The resource curse has made Latin America one of the most commodity dependent regions in the world (Toscani, 2017), undermining the scope and capacity of the region’s development pathway.
Literature on the relationship between development and environment
Early attempts of conceptualising the relationship between development and environment present them as mutually exclusive. According to these perspectives, the development process of achieving economic growth and higher standards of living is usually resource-consuming, and environmental degradation is an inevitable consequence of development (Combes Motel, 2014). However, more nuanced approaches emerged as environmental research demystified. Resonating with the Kuznets curve, Grossman and Krueger (1995)found that the relationship between development and environment follows an inverted U-shape model, where development processes bring an initial phase of deterioration followed by a subsequent improvement because countries are likely to invest in environmental protection measures after becoming “developed”. Concretely, the turning point of environmental quality improving is when a country reaches a per capita income of $8000. Albeit logically convincing, the model does not capture the relationship between environment and development conclusively, as it is built from very few indicators of environmental quality. Moreover, it is important to note that the improvement of environmental quality is not automatic once the country has become affluent, as the process also requires the government to proactively implement new measures, such as cleaner technologies and tackle the structural causes of environmental degradation.
Methodology
The research method for this study involves a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Stage 1
This study will first review existing literature of how legacies from colonial administration impacted the developmental pathways of Latin America. Based on this understanding, the key economic sectors and the nature of the development pathways of Latin will be identified.
Stage 2
Second, this study will validate the postcolonial developmental model with a production-consumption analysis.
Stage 3
Then, this study will calculate the ecological footprint and level of environmental degradation of the development pathway. Based on these calculations, this study will also attempt to model the projections of ecological footprint and level of degradation in the future against the Kuznets curve.
References
Antle, J. M., Heidebrink, G. (1995) “Environment and Development: Theory and International Evidence”. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 43 (3), pp. 603–625.
Castro, F., Hogenboom, B., and Baud, M. (2016) “Introduction: Environment and Society in Contemporary Latin America”. In F. de Castro et al. (eds.), Environmental Governance in Latin America (pp. 1–25). Palgrave Macmillan.
Combes Motel, P., Choumert, J., Minea, A., & Sterner, T. (2014). Explorations in the Environment–Development Dilemma. Environmental & Resource Economics, 57(4), 479–485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-013-9745-9
Grossman, G. M. & Krueger, A. B. (1995). Economic Growth and the Environment. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 110(2), 353–377. https://doi.org/10.2307/2118443
Herkenrath, M. & Bornschier, V. (2003). Transnational Corporations in World Development: Still the Same Harmful Effects in an Increasingly Globalized World Economy? Journal of World-Systems Research, 9(1), 105–139. https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2003.246
Mahoney, J. (2010). Colonialism and development: Spanish America in comparative perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Paul, B. (1957). The Political Economy of Growth. Monthly Review, 195.
Persadie. N., & Rajendra. R. (2005) “Pursuing Development and Protecting the Environment: Dilemma of the Developing World”. Electronic Green Journal. https://doi.org/10.5070/G312210613
Ray, D. (1973). The Dependency Model of Latin American Underdevelopment: Three Basic Fallacies. Journal of Inter-American Studies and World Affairs, 15(1), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.2307/174906
Shrum, W. (2000). Science and Story in Development: The Emergence of Non-Governmental Organizations in Agricultural Research. Social Studies of Science, 30(1), 95–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/030631200030001004
Soluri. J., Leal, C., and Padua, J. A. (2018) A Living Past: Environmental Histories of Modern Latin America.
Soutar, R. (2015, December 7). China is a “major driver” of environmental degradation in Latin America. OpenDemocracy. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/china-is-major-driver-of-environmental-degradation-in-latin-america/
Toscani, F. (2017). The impact of natural resource discoveries in Latin America and the Caribbean : a closer look at the case of bolivia. International Monetary Fund.
World Economic Forum. (2023) The Global Risks Report 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2023.pdf