The sticky myth of economic growth and the critique of development

Abstract

Present day development strategies start with the appropriation of matter or energy from the environment, depicted as extraction, remove, harvest, breeding, etc. This chapter reviews the interpretations of that very first interaction between what may described as “nature” and “development”, in a broad sense from the perspective of critical development studies. The chapter includes a brief historical review, recalling nature and land as key concepts in the 18th and 19th century, associated with the idea of progress, leading to development in the 20th century. These interpretations implied a duality between humans and Nature as a non-human realm to be controlled, dominated, manipulated and used for human benefit. Then, the chapter addresses conceptual issues in describing the ways that Nature is presented as environment, resources and commodities. The initial articulation between environment and development is considered as the first stage in a sequential process that has been described in different ways (production processes, production networks, value chains, commodity chains) ideas that are discussed with reference to the concept of appropriation modes.There are a number of epistemic gaps between development / economics and other disciplines on the interpretation/valuation of the first interaction mentioned above. Due to the dominance of current development/economic epistemologies, they were able to catch some of those alternative categories, such as “natural”, resulting in reformulated concepts, such as “natural capital”. This reinforces current development strategies and limits alternatives. The chapter close with remarks on the need to rethink that first encounter between humans and Nature to generate alternatives to development, so as to cope the ecological crisis.