EXTRACTIVISM 4.0 AND THE " REGIME OF ENVIRONMENTAL CORONELISM”

The articulation of the Brazilian environmental systems with global multistakeholder governance schemes

Abstract

The Brazilian sectors of extractivism have come under criticism in light of the expansion of the Amazon forest and the territories of indigenous and traditional communities by the agribusiness and mining fronts, which increasingly adopts the character of violent invasions... As a result, environmental and social standards for these sectors are increasingly being discussed at the international level in the context of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement and global climate change conferences. In this study, we analyzed the power relations in environmental administration at the national level and the initiatives of the Global Tailings Review (initiated by the ICMM (International Council an Mining and Metals)) and its forerunner FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) at the international level. For this purpose, the empirical experiences regarding environmental and disaster management after the Mariana (2015) and Brumadinho (2019) dam failures, which triggered the largest sociotechnical disasters in Brazil, and certifications of eucalyptus plantations in Minas Gerais and extreme southern Bahia were considered. The results show that in these seemingly participatory bodies, the reproduction of power is similarly authoritarian to that of the toimes of the coronels República Velha (1889- 1930), hence we refer to the environmental administration in Minas Gerais as the "coronelist environmental regime." Surprisingly, the praxis of international certification initiatives is similar, as well as their strategies towards affected people and their supporters.

Furthermore, the 4th industrial revolution is taking place in both sectors, which is supposed to lead to digitalization and complete automation of production processes. It is already apparent that labor and income are not being generated, nor can government revenues be expected due to the tax benefits of the two sectors. Thus, modernized extrativism stands for growth without development. The depopulated production areas thus symbolize the perfection of a development model steeped in a colonial logic, where only a small elite is benefiting, while previously exploited poorer classes are now no longer needed at all. Hence, there is little hope that certified extrativism 4.0 will contribute to more environmental justice.

Keywords: Extractivism, environmental governance, coronelismo, mining, agribusiness