Gallagher Publishes Book on China and Development in Latin America
Kevin Gallagher, Professor of Global Development Policy at the Frederick S. Pardee of Global Studies, recently published China and Sustainable Development in Latin America: The Social and Environmental Dimension. The book, which Gallagher co-authored with Rebecca Ray, Andrés López and Cynthia Sanborn, documents the social and environmental impact of the China-led commodity boom in Latin America over the past decade.
Gallagher, Ray, López and Sanborn argue that overall, Latin American governments and Chinese investors largely fell short of mitigating the social and environmental impact of commodity-led growth. China and Sustainable Development in Latin America also highlights important areas of innovation, like Chile’s solar energy sector, in which governments, communities and investors have worked together to harness the commodity boom for the benefit of the people and the planet.
The authors argue that if the region hopes to regain its momentum toward sustainable development, Latin American governments will have to put in place – and enforce – the necessary policies to ensure that economic activity in natural resource sectors is managed in an environmentally responsible and socially inclusive manner.
China and Sustainable Development in Latin America aims to highlight the efforts that have borne fruit as well as the areas that still need attention. Without proper policies in place to make sustainable development part and parcel of economic decision-making, Latin America will continue to be plagued by commodity boom and bust cycles that accentuate social and environmental conflicts and are ultimately detrimental to long-term prosperity. You can order the book here.
Kevin P. Gallagher is a professor of global development policy at Boston University, where he co-directs the Global Economic Governance Initiative (GEGI). GEGI’s mission is to advance policy relevant research on governance for financial stability, human development, and the environment on a global scale. You can learn more about him here and follow him on Twitter @KevinPGallagher.