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Call for Papers for open call N° 69 of Revista de Investigaciones Geográficas: Una mirada desde el sur.

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Sustainable use versus extractivism? Forestry development models in Chile and Spain. Theoretical reflection and methodological proposal

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Abstract

In marginal rural areas of Chile and Spain, forestry resources lead to the production of wealth, although apparently linked to different development models. In Chile, they are associated with the idea of development centered around the figure of the "entrepreneur" who, with their efforts, manages to make “Nature” productive by means of an intensive use of the land. On the other hand, in Spain, the development strategies are aimed at a "sustainable" use of the forestry resources along with “valorizing" the territorial heritage. In this work, the idea of "development" associated with its "local" and "sustainable" dimensions is questioned, hypothesizing that different development models respond to a similar dual and mercantilist vision of the territory ("efficient territory vs. non-productive territory"; “valorized” resources vs. “abandoned” resources). The objective of this reflection is to create a synthesis of the geographical approach and the political ecology to elucidate the projection of the power relations among different actors, who act in any given territory, from multiple spheres. To test this hypothesis, a comparison between two different territories: The Autonomous Community of Castilla y Leon in Spain, and the Bio-Bio region in Chile is proposed, in order to analyze the different models that have guided forestry use in these regions.

Keywords:

Chile, development models, industrial forestry plantations, Spain, sustainability, sustainable use of forests, rural development