Socio-environmental conflicts resulting from extractive activities in Latin America and Corporate Social Responsibility/Los conflictos socioambientales derivados de actividades extractivas en Latinoam - Vol. 37 Núm. 161, Octubre 2021 - Estudios Gerenciales - Libros y Revistas - VLEX 877971507

Socio-environmental conflicts resulting from extractive activities in Latin America and Corporate Social Responsibility/Los conflictos socioambientales derivados de actividades extractivas en Latinoam

AutorZárate-Rueda, Ruth
  1. Introduction

    In the past few decades, the decay in ecosystems and resources has led to the upcoming of an environmental crisis which results from the intertwining of nature and society (de Oliveira Gomes Marques da Cunha, Sandoval Vásquez & Alonso, 2020). Therefore, questions regarding effective administration modes for resources, their use, preservation, and balance of interests emerge. In this sense, the environment as a setting of life and survival is the object of dispute from positions of power (Paz, 2014); it is a determining aspect at the origin of socio-environmental conflicts mediated by territorial economic growth, the future of local ecosystems, the quality of life in communities and the traditional life systems (Sabatini, 1997).

    Thus, three counterparts appear in the stages of socio-environmental conflicts: (i) the State and (ii) transnational corporations, in charge of approving and directly exploiting natural resources; (iii) rural communities and environmental movements looking for the protection of ecosystems, their territories and local economies (Ortiz, 1997; Mohle, 2021). Within this framework, discussion modes are related to the interest groups that lead to the creation of governance agreements; together with the legacy of the conflict related to socio-environmental questions which, according to the context, have perpetuated a 'culture of conflict' in territories with large socioenvironmental richness (Filomeno, Heracles, Aramburu, Raymundo & Moguerza, 2020).

    Latin America (mainly South America) is characterized by witnessing the most significant number of socio-environmental conflicts derived from extractive activities for minerals, hydrocarbons, and several extensive crops (Gudynas, 2014). According to the Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America (OCMAL), 284 projects are involved in these conflicts, and the countries with the largest number of mining conflicts in the region are: Mexico with 58, Chile with 49, Argentina with 28, and Colombia with 19 (OCMAL, 2021). Furthermore, the problem is more complex due to added values like ancestrality and the ways of life of communities immersed in conflicting territories, as disputes derive from the property rights on resources, the intention to privatize them by opposing the recognition of collective property (Sabatini, 1997) and the application of prevailing development models (Ortiz, 2011).

    Throughout time, different social movements have asked questions regarding the motives and purposes of extractive activities, as a result of problems derived from the widespread influence of the extractive sector in Latin America; hence the promotion of the defense of natural resources, due to their progressive scarcity at a global level (Composto, 2012). In this respect, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the socio-environmental context adheres to a logic of compensation and social investment to present an image of confidence towards the responsible behavior of the corporation with the surroundings it is going to interact with (Leifsen, 2020). In parallel, it may play a discursive role in the governance of natural resources and give shape to political agreements at a local level, with implications at the national level (Frederiksen, 2019).

    Corporate sectors must be aware of the socioenvironmental impact of their activities, as this awareness will allow them to design and implement initiatives with a CSR approach. Consequently, their efforts might contribute to the creation of equitable jobs, the construction of a chain of responsible value, higher transparency, the efficient use of natural resources, and the reduction of poverty (Vives, 2011). The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Switzerland defines CSR as "the commitment undertaken by a company to contribute to sustainable economic development through collaboration with its employees, their families, the local community and society as a whole in order to improve the quality of life" (Herrera & Abreu, 2008, p. 401).

    Corporate Social Responsibility means doing business based on ethical principles and following specific legal requirements to favor the surroundings in which the organization operates, and adopting an active and responsible stance before impacting them with its activities to generate sustainable development, competitiveness, and economic growth. (Raufflet, Lozano, Barrera, & García, 2012)

    However, in spite of the intention to introduce responsible practices in connection with CSR, the extractive sector in Latin America shows gaps in its implementation, with a negative impact linked to corruption, socio-environmental conflict, and damage to the environment (Walter, 2016); which have been boosted in one of the regions with the most extensive biodiversity and the largest oil, natural gas and minerals reserves in the planet (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean [ECLAC], 2013). Furthermore, some studies have determined that the slow economic and social development, added to the poor creation of relevant public and private sectors in Latin America, has made it difficult or delayed the development of CSR. This results from weak corporate governance, an unfavorable climate for the creation of businesses, a smaller business scale (compared with other regions), the limited use of social audits, and the lack of specialized indexes to measure CSR performance in companies. In addition, it is evident that CSR in Latin America is influenced by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the headquarters of multinational companies and multilateral institutions, and not by the firms' initiative (Peinado-Vara, 2005; 2011; Palomino, 2011).

    In this way, the widespread influence of CSR in Latin America may exacerbate or mitigate socioenvironmental conflicts arising from the natural richness of the territory and the relationship between the society and the ecosystem; hence, a new essential element plays a role in this link, namely the Social License to Operate (SLO). This "results from the fact that all companies need tacit or explicit permission from governments, communities and other stakeholders to do business" (Porter & Kramer, 2006, p.5). To this end, the SLO is the object of different types of criticism due to the pragmatic calculation it involves for some companies, mainly international ones, to get the support of the communities to operate without delay or interruptions (Owen & Kemp, 2013). Thus, for example, the approval or rejection of the SLO in Latin America has frequently been the trigger for socioenvironmental conflicts (Walter & Urkidi, 2017; Cesar, 2019), a situation that leads to analyzing the social, economic, cultural, and political repercussions of the companies that operate in the extractive sector, from the perspective of CSR, which aims to promote the sustainable development of the territory.

    According to the above, the objective of this study is to analyze the socio-environmental conflicts derived from extractive activities in Latin America and the impact of CSR on the extractive sector through a systematic review of the scientific literature found on high impact databases (SCOPUS and Web of Science), in the 2012-2017 period. In this way, it is possible to identify the types of conflicts involved in the actions of extractive companies and the response from communities, specifically in territories with ecosystems that are protected due to their natural and ancestral richness; in addition to the good practices and challenges that companies face when implementing CRS as an alternative to promote environmental sustainability.

    This study aims to contribute to the scientific literature on the topic by interpreting the diversity of socioenvironmental conflicts that may arise in rural settings that demand the State's protection and the companies that conduct the extractive activities in territories with abundant ecological richness and a variety of natural resources. Likewise, it aims to highlight the scope of CSR in this setting and the corporate, methodological, and strategic approaches that should be undertaken to provide an authentic and legitimate relationship with the stakeholders.

    The following section presents the methodology implemented, which is structured in three phases: definition of the problem, search for information, and data analysis. The bibliometric results (according to each database) and systematic review of the scientific literature collected are related. Finally, the challenges and possible actions to enhance the use of CSR as a strategy to mitigate impact are discussed, and it is concluded that the Human Rights approach is the starting point to achieve a balance between the interests of the State and those of corporations and communities.

  2. Methodology

    The process was conducted based on the systematic review, which has the purpose of planning a bibliographical search employing an adequate combination of terms and the help of logical operators. Initially, it was necessary to define keywords and synonyms to be introduced in the search engines. According to Alfonzo (1995), a systematic review is a scientific procedure, a systematic process for searching, collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting information around a specific topic.

    Prior to the search, the information found was read considering the remarks from the research team, the relationship between the different works, the interpretation, and profound comprehension of the analysis topic. Likewise, it was necessary to critically assess the information to optimize the time to detect whether or not the material complied with the conditions of being relevant scientific material of quality (Vilanova, 2012). It is essential to highlight that this study corresponds to a reconstruction of the information to generate theoretical contributions by recreating and redefining new approaches and criteria that enrich and expand on the existing information...

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