Contesting extractivism: international business and people’s struggles against extractive industries

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to introduce the special issue “Extractivism and the Links between International Business and People’s Struggles,” which is part of our joint research efforts oriented to advance critical knowledge on the impacts and strategies of extractive transnational corporations and social struggles against them. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents and discusses contemporary aspects of extractivism and their impacts on nature and livelihood. In a second moment, it introduces and reflects on the four articles that compose the special issue “Extractivism and the Links between International Business and People’s Struggles”. Findings Extractivism is destructive of nature and livelihoods. As reaction to its destructive logic, millions of people have organized to struggle against extractivist projects around the world. The publication of this special issue is part of authors’ joint research efforts oriented to advance critical knowledge on the impacts and strategies of extractive corporations and social struggles against them. The lessons that the authors learned in their research and their experiences in these struggles were the key motivating factors that led them to organize this special issue, exploring radical alternatives to extractivism, alternatives that have as fundamental criterion the production and reproduction of life. Originality/value The value of this introduction is to present and discuss the four articles of the special issue “Extractivism and the Links between International Business and People’s Struggles,” which compose a rich mosaic of themes that emerge in the struggles against extractive projects worldwide, creating a relevant picture of the main defies imposed by extractivism and its negative impacts, from political corporate social responsibility to discourses, from relational ontology to the relations among state, corporations and social movements.

Hegemon or South-South partner? The ambiguity of Chinese foreign direct investment in Peru

“…This reflects extractivism’s colonial roots that have not radically altered traditional relations (Gudynas, 2016; Long, 2019). As Flores et al (2022, p. 2) note: “Extractivism is not a novelty; it is constitutive of colonialism, capitalism and modernity.” Strategic infrastructure projects, on the other hand, illustrate some of the advantages of a South–South relationship, but the extent to which the benefits are mutual is less clear. Jackson’s (2012) caution of questioning China’s motives is pertinent in order to evaluate the extent to which China’s activities are enabling the development of a more efficient extractive sector geared towards satisfying China’s resource needs.…”

Multinational corporations and grand challenges: part of the problem, part of the solution?

“…in the extractive industries (e.g. Schrecker et al, 2018, Flores et al, 2022and Angela et al, 2021, large infrastructure projects (e.g. Srikantia, 2016;Atkins and Hope, 2021) and global value chains (e.g.…”

“…Moreover, a serious account of the contribution of MNCs to grand challenges needs to recognize that MNCs in many instances are in fact part of or even the main instigator of the problem (see e.g. Adams et al, 2018;Flores et al, 2022;Hermes and Lehto, 2021). Hence, it is indispensable also to investigate the strategies, the business conduct and the political behaviors of MNCs that cause and/or contribute to the very existence of grand challenges.…”

Actor-agency and institutional complexity: multinational corporations’ strategies to combat the framework convention on tobacco control in Brazil

“…Building on these streams of work, our study contributes to the critical strand of research investigating MNCs and their strategies (Boussebaa and Morgan, 2014; Geppert and Dörrenbächer, 2014). MNCs are sometimes perceived as “magic actors” that could tackle societal grand challenges, but they are also considered to be part of the problem (Flores et al , 2022). Indeed, tobacco production is a health, social and economic problem in Brazil (da Silva et al , 2019).…”