Deforestation in the Global South: Assessing Uneven Environmental Improvements 1993–2013

Abstract

In recent decades forest degradation declined around the globe. While encouraging, improvements emerged unevenly in the Global South. What explains these variable trends? Using longitudinal panel models with fixed effects, I assess changes to forest area from 1993–2013 in 73 countries. Drawing from sociological institutionalism and unequal ecological exchange, I make three contributions. I find that omnibus environmental laws mitigate forest loss rather than environmental international nongovernmental organizations, and, I show that dependency on trade with wealthy countries weakens the impact of these policies. I also substantiate and theorize export-led industrialization as a leading driver of deforestation. Broadly, I argue that national states are key sites of contestation between transnational political-economic forces and legitimated but pliable environmental institutions. Developing countries adopt standardized forest protections while, facing political-economic pressures, they variably consent to predatory trade terms and streamline export infrastructures. I conclude with recommendations for future research and policy implications.

Foreign Direct Investment Dependence and the Neglected Greenhouse Gas: A Cross-National Analysis of Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Developing Countries, 1990–2014

“…Neo-liberal perspectives often assert global economic integration through trade will transfer advanced technologies to developing countries that can lead to more sustainable forms of development (e.g., Perkins and Neumayer 2009). World-systems and dependency scholars, however, assert international trade can pressure developing countries to lower their environmental standards to be competitive in the global economy (Jorgenson et al 2011; Jorgenson and Kick 2006; Tester 2020).…”

The harmful effects of primary sector foreign direct investment on carbon dioxide emissions in developing countries, 2000–2018

“…Trade openness I include a measure of Trade Openness, which is commonly measured as trade (exports + imports) as a percentage of GDP (ln) (e.g., Clark 2008;Noble 2019;Sommer, Restivo, and Shandra 2020;Tester 2020). I log-transform this variable to account for skew.…”

Corrupting Ecologically Unequal Exchange? India and Forest Loss in a Cross-National Perspective

“…Until recently, cross-national research on forest loss was based largely upon data made available in “Global Forest Resources Assessment,” a report published every five years by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (2020) (e.g., Shandra, Rademacher, and Coburn 2016; Tester 2020). However, the reliability of these data has been called into question because they are gathered using different data collection methods.…”