Extractivism and Environmental Justice in Latin America and the Global South

Full course description

Extractivism is a name given by activists and scholars to the intense, export-led, and capital-intensive resource extraction occurring in many countries in the Global South, and especially in Latin America, as a "development strategy". Some of these projects include not only mining gold, coal, copper, diamonds, and fossil fuels but also monocrops like palm oil and soy, among others. Furthermore, similar dynamics and conflicts can be found in “green” energy projects, such as large-scale solar and wind farms, and the extraction of minerals required for the energy transition, such as lithium. All these industries require the intense exploitation of nature, the extensive use of land, significant negative environmental and health impacts, the displacement of communities, and changes in the social dynamics of host regions.

In this course, we will explore environmental controversies related to communities' disputes for land, water, and local autonomy. We will also focus on governments' and corporations' responses to the increasing social protest and society's demands for better practices, sustainability, and wealth distribution. Finally, we will discuss some possible alternatives to extractivist economies and discuss the very problematic concept of a “just” transition. Problems will be discussed from the perspective of political ecology and environmental justice, anthropology, and human geography.

Tasks will dwell on topics such as Extractivism as a Development strategy, the Resource Curse, Environmental Impact Assessments, critical views of Corporate Social Responsibility, Indigenous people's Rights, the 169 ILO Convention and the right to prior consultation, the “Just Transition”, green extractivist, and Environmental Justice. We will pay special attention to concepts, theories, and alternatives emerging from the collaboration of local communities, activists, and critical scholars. We will also reflect on what social movements' experiences can teach us in a world increasingly concerned with climate change, resource depletion, and human rights