Fighting for the Land: Extractive Industries and Community Forestry in Mexico

• In Event: Power and Conflict in Environmental Politics

Abstract

The global demand for land-related commodities ― including agricultural products, timber, and minerals ― has increased dramatically. This trend not only exacerbates the precarious conditions of millions of citizens who still depend on land as their main livelihood, but also threatens the sustainability of the world’s forests. Whereas some of these communities have been able to resist such challenges and implement sustainable development strategies, others have lagged. What explains this variation?

To explore this question, I focus on Mexico, a country with a long history of communal tenure of land that has experienced a boom in its natural resources sector since the early 2000s. The main argument of this paper is that the strength of intra-community institutions (such as property rights, resource use regulations, and mechanisms of dispute resolution) and the relationship with local authorities explain why some rural communities have been more successful in protecting their natural resources than others.

To add empirical evidence to my claims, I employ a multi-methods research approach. The quantitative component leverages on exogenous variation in the distribution of development projects (mining, oil and gas, and agriculture); I use a unique dataset with untapped, fine-grained administrative data and satellite-derived geographic information that measures a wide array of institutional and behavioral variables at the community level. These include, among others, deforestation, prevalence of wildfires, and local elections. From a qualitative perspective, I explore the mechanisms behind my theory with detailed case studies of two communities in southern Mexico, based on extensive fieldwork. My preliminary results suggest that there is a wide heterogeneity in the extent to which rural communities have been able to avoid deforestation and forest wildfires; this is associated with the historical development of these communities and the expansion of extractive activities.

Author

• Cesar B. Martinez-Alvarez, University of California, Los Angeles