Author: alvarohofflinger

Publicaciones

Expanding Exotic Forest Plantations and Declining Rural Populations in La Araucanía, Chile.

alvarohofflinger

Lindsey Carte, Álvaro Hofflinger, y Molly H. Polk

Abstract

Chile has embraced the expansion of monoculture forest plantations of exotic Monterey pine and eucalyptus as part of its development strategy. While forestry is considered financially successful and meets sustainability objectives, the increase in forest plantations across southern Chile has received harsh critiques for exacerbating conflict over Indigenous land rights, producing negative environmental outcomes, and increasing poverty and inequality. There are also claims that forest plantation expansion has led to an abandonment of the countryside. Migration is viewed as a result of the socioeconomic challenges that forest plantations produce at the local level; however, the linkages have not been explored. We examine the linkages between forest plantations and migration through two questions: Is there a relationship between forest plantation cover change and out-migration from rural areas? If so, what are the factors that explain this process? We use a difference-in-differences method analyzing panel data from the Chilean census and from CONAF, the Chilean National Forest Corporation, complemented by interviews, mapping workshops, and focus groups to answer these questions. Results indicate a statistically significant relationship between expanding forest plantations and population decline in rural areas. Qualitative data show that this expansion led to displacement of residents, declines in employment opportunities, and agriculture difficulties.

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Publicaciones

Do Large-Scale Forestry Companies Generate Prosperity in Indigenous Communities? The Socioeconomic Impacts of Tree Plantations in Southern Chile.

alvarohofflinger

Álvaro Hofflinger, Héctor Nahuelpán, Àlex Boso, y Pablo Millalén

Abstract

Since the 1980s, forest plantations have expanded globally in response to commercial demand for wood products. Research has focused mainly on the economic and environmental impacts (carbon reduction) of the forestry industry. However, our research focuses on the social impact of large-scale forestry plantations, particularly the effect of the expansion of tree plantations on local communities. We evaluate the positive (employment and income) and negative (poverty and income inequality) externalities of the expansion of the forestry industry in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations located in six regions of Southern Chile, where 73% of the rural Indigenous people live, over the period 1997–2015. Our findings show that the forestry industry’s expansion has not reduced unemployment or improved incomes for the Indigenous or non-Indigenous population. On the contrary, it has increased poverty and inequality between them.

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Working papers

Growth with Equity? Pay Inequality inChile During The Democratic Era (1990-2006).

alvarohofflinger

Laura Spagnolo, Álvaro Hofflinger, y Viviana Salinas

Abstract

This paper explores the evolution of pay inequality in Chile between 1990 and 2006, disaggregated by economic sectors, occupational groups and regions. We use the between-groups component of Theil’s T Statistic to obtain decompositions along these lines that are not available in previous studies of economic inequality in Chile. Betweensectors pay inequality increased from 1990 to 1996, after which it decreased, returning to 1990 levels by 2006. This rise and fall is explained primarily by changes in the relative position of the financial sector. Pay inequality between occupational groups did not change significantly during the period of study. Finally, inequality decomposed by region varies mainly with the relative position of Santiago, the richest and largest economic region.

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Working papers

Are the school choices of indigenous students affected by discrimination? Evidence from Chile

alvarohofflinger

Alvaro Hofflinger, Cristóbal Villalobos, Loreto Cárdenas, y Ernesto Treviño

Abstract

One of the most common criticisms of school choice programs is that instead of improving student achievement, they would increase school segregation. From the supply side, schools can select their student body, especially those students who they perceive to be easier and less costly to educate. From the demand side, parents can use different criteria to choose a school, such as their proximity to the school, school quality or the school’s ethnic/racial composition. As a result, the system would be segregated based on the parents’ preferences. This research examines indigenous parents’ school preferences and whether ethnic discrimination influences their decision-making process. We use national-level data from Chile, a country with national school choice since 1981. The results show that indigenous students and particularly those who have suffered ethnic discrimination in middle school, prefer high schools with a higher percentage of indigenous students. Furthermore, we found that the level of acts discrimination occurred in middle schools due to the students’ ethnicity increases as the percentage of indigenous students rises; however, when the proportion of indigenous and non-indigenous students is similar, indigenous students are less likely to face ethnicity-based discrimination.

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