Chile:
A forestry model
generating poverty and extreme poverty
In Latin America, the
Chilean case is presented as a successful forestry model, in spite
of the fact that many Chilean organizations – in particular Mapuche
indigenous organizations – have for years now been denouncing the
impacts of large eucalyptus and pine plantations in southern Chile.
However, this has not prevented well-paid forestry consultants from
repeating the same lies and from convincing governments of other
countries (Peru and Ecuador are the most recent cases), to follow
the “successful” Chilean path. As part of the advertising
package, the model’s promoters include its so-called capacity to
generate jobs in the plantations and consequently an improvement
of the inhabitants’ quality of life.
Within this context,
the following excerpt from a document prepared by two professional
foresters from the Universidad Austral de Chile (1), shows the falseness
of such claims and illustrates, on the basis of official statistics,
the dimension of the social disaster arising from this model. They
state that:
“One of the greatest
contradictions of the Chilean forestry sector is that while there
has been a notorious growth of forestry exports based on pine and
eucalyptus plantations, mainly found in the eighth and ninth Regions,
the population of these Regions has not improved its quality of
life. During the rapid expansion of these plantations (mainly
in the seventies and eighties) problems occurred regarding migration,
explosive growth of well established towns and unemployment.
Presently forestry activities in Chile are located in Regions from
the seventh region to the tenth and it is precisely these four Regions
that have the lowest Human Development Indexes (HDI). According
to Government figures, between 1990 and 1998, the eighth and ninth
Regions were those having the largest number of people in poverty
(an average of 40.5% in 1990 and 27.3% in 1998) and in extreme poverty
(an average of 15.8% in 1990 and 8.5% in 1998). The same source
states that, according to the Gini Coefficient, the relationship
between poverty and income distribution is evident: in 1998 the
eighth and ninth Regions showed the worst distribution of income
in Chile. In specific areas, the ninth Region is that with the highest
percentage of people showing poor and very poor health (41.7%) and
regarding education, the seventh, tenth and eleventh Regions have
the largest percentage of population between 4 and 17 years of age
who do not go to school. Furthermore, the eighth Region, concentrating
the greatest extensions of exotic plantations, is also the poorest
and with the highest percentage of rural population in extreme poverty
in the country. Following the eighth Region, the ninth is the Region
with most forestry activity in Chile and has the greatest concentration
of Mapuche population. The Mapuche population in this Region receive
half the income and their HDI is lower in all aspects than that
of non-Mapuche people. Additionally, there are presently serious
conflicts between forestry or agricultural enterprises and Mapuche
communities regarding land ownership claims.”
“Although it would
be unfair to attribute the above-mentioned problems exclusively
to the forestry sector, the data at least suggest that this sector,
even in rural areas, has not contributed to improve the socio-economic
situation of the inhabitants of these Regions. For example, between
the years 1987 and 1996, the seventh, eighth and ninth Regions in
addition to the third Region showed the worst rates in overcoming
poverty, while forestry exports over the same period rose. This
is explained, among other factors, by the workers’ low salaries,
precisely the factor that has helped to attract capital to the Chilean
forestry sector.”
Need we say more?
(1) Donoso, Pablo & Otero, Luis (2005)
– Hacia una definición de país forestal: ¿Donde se sitúa Chile?
(Towards a definition of a forestry country:
What is the position of Chile? Bosque (Valdivia) v.26 n.3.
Valdivia, December.
