Are We Going to Support Our Own Development or the One Being Imposed on Us? Proposals for Development Sustained by Our Territory's Natural Base

Abstract

Considering sustainable development for our country requires imagining development systems specific to each region. This must be based on the natural productive foundation — that is, the vegetal, fungal, microbiological, and animal resources, and even the minerals present in our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems — combined with the highly varied cultural particularities of local communities. Until now, our country's leading development approach has been oriented toward copying productive models from countries with different geological, climatic, cultural, and ecological dynamics, generally countries in the northern hemisphere with seasonal cycles, low biological variety, and highly homogeneous ecosystems. Adapting our territories to species from these regions has been very costly and unsustainable, with negative environmental and cultural impacts. This article proposes redirecting livestock and forestry activities toward native species, making sustainable use of forest resources.