Regional Cooperation and Local and Regional Development: a Comparative Analysis of the Coffee Region (Colombia) and O’Higgins (Chile)
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Regional cooperation and local and regional development: a comparative analysis of the Coffee Region (Colombia) and O’Higgins (Chile) Diana Carolina Morales-Arcila Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Geography, Politics and Sociology July, 2018 Abstract The aim of this thesis is to conceptualise and explain the evolution of regional cooperation at a sub-national scale, and its influence in local and regional development. It contributes to the studies on regional cooperation and local and regional development, by understanding regional cooperation as an adaptable process shaped by its context, and introducing the otherwise neglected experiences from the Global South-Latin American urban and rural regions to the debate. The study addresses the gaps created by the predominant focus upon post-industrial, Global North experiences, emphasising in cities rather than regions integrated by urban and rural areas in research on regional cooperation and local and regional development. Examining the case studies of the Coffee Region (Colombia) and O’Higgins (Chile), this thesis argues that regional cooperation can be conceptualised as a context dependant process of voluntary and concerted work amongst diverse regional actors. Regional cooperation plays a crucial role in reshaping local and regional development models at the local scale, while local actors involved in regional cooperation adapt to the regional context and institutional environment. Regional cooperation appears not just as an alternative to improve local and regional development, but also as a mechanism that interacts with wider local institutional processes. This research identifies the different kinds and forms of regional cooperation, and how these are created and adapted to each context. It explains the relationship between regional cooperation and local institutions, and the relationship between regional cooperation and local and regional development, emphasising the role that regional cooperation plays in shaping bottom-up approaches to development, while helping regions to adapt and contest top-down neoliberal economic policies. i ii Acknowledgements This project was much more than writing a thesis to get a prestigious degree. Going through this PhD was also a life journey. From the most obvious things such as finding my way around a new city, a new country, culture, language, even the weather, to learning what does geography mean and how to deal with my new problems of professional identity. Am I a geographer, and economic geographer, a former lawyer? These years have been perhaps the most amazing years of my professional life and, along with this thesis, I am taking wonderful friends, colleagues, memories, and a place I call second home. I need to thank first to my mom and brother for their unconditional support, emotional and material, they are the secret of my adaptability and strength. Also, to my very first and tireless proof-reader, British culture teacher and partner John, his company has made this journey much more enjoyable. All my colleagues and friends at the PGR’s office, those that remain and those who are gone, thanks for making me feel welcome and share all our frustrations while transcribing interviews and dealing with this very demanding journey. Jenny, Laura, Carl, thanks for travelling through this PhD with me. Thanks to the CURDS PGR community for your support and the CURDS and Geography staff for being there to listen and feedback our projects at the seminars and other events. Thanks to the CLACS colleagues for becoming a second school for me and kept me connected with Latin America, and Jens for his help and support during the PILAS year and beyond. Thanks to those whom I met during these years, and are now my dearest friends, and those who stayed in Colombia but were always there to skype and encourage me. Andy and Danny, thanks for guiding this research project, for giving me freedom to lead it and for bring my feet back to earth every time I needed it. Thanks for the countless hours spent reading and listening about regional cooperation, the Coffee Region and O’Higgins (I hope you are not too tired of it and come to the Coffee Region with me one day). Most thanks to all of those who contributed to this research. Million thanks to Nelfi, whom opened the doors of her home while I lived in Peumo, and introduced me to her wonderful friends and family, I learned a lot about Chile through them. Finally, million thanks to all of those whom agreed to share their knowledge, expertise and invaluable time to be interviewed, especially to those campesinos who took their time to walk me around their beautiful farms. iii iv Table of contents Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………. 1 1.1.The approach to regional cooperation………………………………………. 1 1.2. Aims and research questions……………………………………………….. 3 1.3. Outline of the thesis………………………………………………………… 3 1.4. Regional cooperation in the Coffee Region and O’Higgins………………. 5 Chapter 2: Geographical Approach to Regional Cooperation: Theoretical Contributions, Debates, and Implications in Local and Regional 8 Development Research…….……………………………………………….…... 2.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………... 8 2.2. Development geographies and economic geography research from the Global South…………………………………………………………………….. 9 2.3. Foundations and definitions for regional cooperation………………………. 14 2.3.1. Defining regions…………………………………………………………... 14 2.3.2. Regional cooperation conceptualisations…………………………………. 18 Regional cooperation in institutional economic geography………….…. 19 Regional cooperation in public administration research.………………... 25 Regional cooperation and the reconfiguration of territorial governance……………………………………………………………….. 28 Regional cooperation in post-development theories……………….……. 29 Regional cooperation within a neoliberal framework……..…….………. 31 2.4. Local and regional development……………………………………...……... 33 2.5. Insights for a geographical analysis of regional cooperation in Latin 40 America…………………………………………………………………………… 2.6. Conclusions………………………………………………………………....... 45 Chapter 3: Researching Regional Cooperation in Latin America…………… 47 3.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………... 47 3.2. On critical realism and intensive research design……………………………. 48 3.3. Comparative case study and selection of cases.…………………………...… 50 3.3.1. Case study………………………………………………………………….. 50 3.3.2. Comparative case study……………………….…………………………… 52 v 3.3.3. Selection of cases……………………….………………………………….. 55 3.4. Data collection………….……………………………………………………. 57 3.4.1. Collection strategies…….………….………………………………………. 58 3.4.2. Data analysis…………………………………………….…………………. 62 3.5. Ethics and positionality…………………………………..……………..……. 65 3.6. Conclusions……………………………………………….………………..… 66 Chapter 4: The Context for Regional Cooperation in the Coffee Region and the O’Higgins Region………………………………….…………………...…… 67 4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………....... 67 4.2. Delimiting the regions: Jurisdictional limits and socio-economic interactions……………………………………………………………………….. 67 4.2.1. Political-administrative organisation………………………………………. 68 4.2.2. Decentralisation policies – overview………………………………………. 70 4.3. Economic and social change…………………………………………………. 74 4.3.1. The Coffee Region…………………….…………………………………… 75 4.3.2. O’Higgins………………………………………………….………………. 78 4.4. Processes of regional cooperation……………………………………...…… 80 4.4.1. Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia…………..………………….…… 80 4.4.2. Cooperativa Campesina de Peumo Coopeumo………………..………........ 85 4.4.3. Andes Range’s Municipalities Association (ARMA)……………………... 89 4.4.4. Pijao Citta-slow……………………………………………………………. 90 4.4.5. Colchagua Valley………………………………………………………….. 91 4.4.6. San Vicente Chamber of Tourism…………………………………………. 91 4.5. Conclusions…………………………………………………………………... 92 Chapter 5: Processes of Regional Cooperation………………………………... 93 5.1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………... 93 5.2. Actors……………………………………………………………………...…. 94 5.2.1. Private leadership…………………………………………………………... 94 5.2.2. Local governments…………………………………………………………. 97 vi 5.2.3. National governments……………………………………………………… 100 5.2.4. International organisations…………………………………………………. 103 5.3. Local understandings of regional cooperation……………………………. 105 5.3.1. Regional cooperation as a process…………………………………………. 106 5.3.2. Forms of regional cooperation……………………………………………... 108 5.4. Contextual drivers……………………………………………………………. 111 5.4.1. Uneven development and crisis……………………………………………. 112 5.4.2. Regional competition………………………………………………………. 115 5.5. Establishing and sustaining regional cooperation……………………………. 118 5.5.1. Regions and their socio-economic constructs……………………………… 118 5.5.2. Governing regional cooperation…………………………………………… 122 5.6. Conclusions………………………………………………………………… 131 Chapter 6: Institutional Conditions for Regional Cooperation……………… 133 6.1. Introduction………………………………………………………...………… 133 6.2. Institutions and regional cooperation………………………………………… 134 6.2.1. Decentralisation policies…………………………………………………… 134 6.2.2. Local agency……………………………………………………………….. 139 6.2.3. Social and institutional barriers and incentives to cooperation……………. 143 6.3. On regional governance and path dependant cooperation…………………… 146 6.3.1. Regional governance………………………………………………………. 146 6.3.2. Path dependant cooperation……………………………………………….. 150 6.4. Conclusions………………………………………………………………...… 154 Chapter 7: Regional Cooperation and Local and Regional Development…... 156 7.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………….…. 156 7.2. Local and regional development for whom?...................................................