Local to global escalation of land use conflicts: Long-term dynamics on social movements protests against pulp mills and plantation forests in Argentina and Uruguay

Abstract

Land-use conflicts are increasing in number and intensity. In conflicts involving power imbalances and structural asymmetries, actors may attempt to frame the conflict in a manner that would put it on the political agenda, sometimes causing an escalation of the conflict and extending the possibilities of new coalition partners. Consequently, this study aims to analyze the spread of conflict escalation across scales from the local to the international level, following political factors. We analyzed the conflict between Argentina and Uruguay over two pulp mill projects using a qualitative case study design with process tracing building on the content analysis of public documents and expert interviews. The results allow us to analyze the development of the conflict in three stages of escalation: local, international, and global. Our findings provide insights into conflict escalation patterns as important analytical concepts in land-use conflicts resulting from an active, strategic undertaking of political actors in pursuing strong allies at different levels of governance.