Neoextrativism and Socio-environmental Conflicts in the Amazon: Is (capitalist) Forest Management a Sustainable Alternative?

Neoextrativismo y Conflictos Socioambientales en la Amazonía: Manejo Forestal (capitalista) como Alternativa de Sostenibilidad?

Abstract

This article aims to explain the primary aspects of socio-environmental conflicts that arise from the increase in neo-extractive activities within community territories in the Amazon rainforest. This research aims to define and explain a socio-environmental conflict in the central region of Rondônia, in the Western Amazon, examining the relationships and interactions between the agents directly and indirectly involved in the conflict. Regarding the methodology, political ecology is explored as a field of study for socio-environmental conflicts, following the theoretical and methodological frameworks of Paul E. Little’s “ethnography of socio-environmental conflicts” and of Andrew P. Vayda’s “progressive contextualization” of phenomena that destabilize ecosystems, forest units, and forest fragments. The article then outlines a specific aspect of forest exploitation imposed as an alternative for resolving socio-environmental conflicts in the Amazon, which instead resulted in a fierce race for land and timber, consequently causing ruptures with old conservationist practices.

Keywords:
Neoextractivism; forest management; socio-environmental conflicts; political ecology; Amazon