Suchergebnisse

Under immense pressure to bring some certainty into the markets, Barack Obama has moved quickly to announce his choice for main cabinet posts. His planned appointments, as well as his policy announcements, are a study in how to turn crisis into opportunity. A reader of history, with particular attention to the biographies of certain presidents, he has taken a page from Abraham Lincoln in naming a "team of rivals" or at least of big personalities with strong opinions, as his foreign policy lineup: Hillary Clinton will be Secretary of State and General James Jones, a retired Marine commander, his National Security Advisor, while Robert Gates, current Secretary of Defense under Bush, would stay on at least for the first year of the Obama administration. On the economic side, his choice for Treasure Secretary, arguably the most important post in this crisis is Timothy Geithner, New York Federal Reserve chairman, who has been working closely with both Federal Reserve President Ben Bernanke and Treasure Secretary Hank Paulson, and has been part of the decision-making on bank bailouts from the very beginning. This would give continuity to the policy choices already made and bring a stronger measure of certainty and coherence to the process. With the cooperation of George W. Bush, Obama has been shaping the policy-making process behind the scenes, but after calls for him to give some certainty to the markets and to fill the power vacuum of the interregnum period, he has come forward several times this week to reassure consumers and markets that he is ready to continue the federal government's unprecedented spending in order to stimulate the economy. His activist government agenda will be in many ways enabled by the crisis, for example in job creation and energy transformation: he can tie those two goals together by embarking on a New Deal-style of public works while at the same time renewing the energy base of the economy, thereby meeting environmental goals and severing the country's economically costly and politically unsustainable dependency on oil. He is also helped by the fact that bipartisanship is for now a necessity until the first critical period of this dire economic period is crossed. Just like FDR took advantage of the Great Depression to drive through his agenda of redistribution, so can Obama. Energy renewal, job creation, adequate health care, education, regulation and tax reform all are goals that had been neglected for too long but now there is an opportunity to turn them into part of the solution to economic recovery. At times when calls for government action are coming from all sides of the political spectrum, the opportunity to turn those calls into reform is enormous, and Obama is using his bully pulpit early to lead the country in that direction. He is now proposing the rapid approval of an economic stimulus deemed around the sum of 500 billion dollars in federal spending and tax cuts for the middle class. As the pieces of the Obama's cabinet puzzle start falling into place, most observers are surprised at the pragmatism that seems to be guiding his choices. Timothy Geithner is a centrist, a problem solver, a Wall Street outsider, who has worked in different position at the Department of Treasury since 1988, under three different presidents. During the Clinton administration he dealt with the Asian crisis and the Mexican bailout. A dedicated public servant, pro-regulation, young and non-ideological, he has a student-mentor relationship with Larry Summers, Treasure Secretary under Clinton and also a pragmatist, who will now become Obama's economic adviser. This choice as well as others points to a fact-based administration, which coincides with the vision laid out by Obama during the campaign, one that solves problems and is not ruled by ideology. Bob Rubin, a deficit "hawk" with a strong penchant for balanced budgets who was also Treasure Secretary under Clinton, is helping Obama put together the economic team, which so far has no progressive heavy weight economists like Joseph Stiglitz or James Galbraith, both of whom were Obama advisers during the campaign. Similarly, on the foreign policy front, Obama chose Hillary Clinton, in spite of their disagreements in foreign policy during the primary election campaign. And all signs point to his picking of General James Jones, a retired Marine general and former NATO commander, as his National Security Advisor. Jones is a Vietnam decorated veteran with strong cross-party appeal, who was asked twice by Condoleezza Rice to be her adviser at State (but he declined). Defense Secretary Bob Gates, another dedicated public servant, would be asked to stay on at Defense and negotiate the next stage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is close to Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Adviser for Bush 41 and Gerald Ford, who has criticized George W. Bush for both the decision to invade Iraq, which he called "a war of choice not of necessity", and the way he allowed it to be mishandled by Rumsfeld. To this eclectic team one must add Vice President Joe Biden, whose foreign policy experience was a main consideration when he was picked by Obama as his running mate. He will certainly be another strong voice at the foreign policy table. The main intention behind these choices seems to be that, once Obama succeeds in forming an effective team out of such strong and experienced personalities on the foreign policy front, he can more comfortably focus on the economy without distractions. These early decisions, whether confirmed, leaked out or strongly rumored, have Washington buzzing. Does the choice of experienced people detract from Obama's message of change? Not necessarily, since it is the President that will set the agenda and who will lay out the vision. Obama invites strong opinions from his aides, and likes to debate options. That is how he envisions the decision-making process, with his advisers as partners in governance, not as passive surrogates. But there are risks to this approach, the main one being how to mesh these big egos with different backgrounds and perspectives into a real team that can work together without undermining each of its individual members' missions. That is exactly what happened to Secretary of State Colin Powell under the Bush-Cheney White House: he did not have the full backing of the rest of the team, especially of the vice-president, so he became ineffective and he never recovered. Another rumor often heard around the capital this week, especially in the anti-Obama camp, is that, given his cabinet choices, Obama seems to be positioning himself to govern from the center of the political spectrum, thus "betraying his progressive agenda" and his left-wing supporters. This claim is incorrect for two main reasons. First, because it is blind to the fact that his so-called "progressive agenda" coincides with the center today. The ideological center has shifted, and "Progressive" is now mainstream. What was considered radical ten or twenty years ago is now what most of Americans want, namely: demands for corporate responsibility and universal health care, concerns about global warming and energy renewal, a foreign policy based on multilateral decision making, respect for human rights and international law. It is still a divided country, but the wide majority wants reform. Second, Obama's blueprint of massive public investment to rebuild infrastructure and schools, and to create "green" jobs, his new "New Deal", will be made possible by the crisis itself. Most experts agree that this is not a time to worry about budget deficits. There are new opportunities created by the crisis itself: the call for government action comes from all sides, so it is time to use the momentous circumstances to bring about the change that has been postponed for so long, and to do it in the service of job creation and sustainable growth. Just like President Roosevelt used the Great Depression to drive through his economic agenda of education and distribution, so Obama should make use of the moment and embark on major investments in a XXI century infrastructure, with a new electric grid, water and sewer system, a world class internet service and health care reform. The new stimulus package announced this week seems to be a first step in that direction. In the next few days the President-elect will announce his choices to head the Department of Commerce and Homeland Security. Bill Richardson, the Hispanic governor of New Mexico, and Jane Napolitano, governor of Arizona are the most likely candidates. Bill Richardson's nomination will be very important since it will not only appease Hispanics (over 67% of who voted for Obama) but also signify a pro-free trade stance by Obama that will assuage fears of Protectionism both in American and abroad. On her part, Jane Napolitano is someone with hands-on experience in Immigration, and her choice to head Homeland Security seems to signal that serious Immigration reform is also on the Executive's agenda. At only three weeks after his election, and at eight weeks before his inauguration, Barack Obama has been forced to use his bully pulpit to restore confidence and pledge continuity to commitments already made by the outgoing administration. He has shown his pragmatism by inviting the best-qualified and most experienced people into his cabinet to face the difficulties ahead, regardless of their ideology or ties to past administrations. His greatest challenge is to continue turning crisis into opportunity, using the unprecedented consensus on government spending to promote his transformational agenda. He must stick to his narrative of change and use his cabinet's experience to make that change happen. Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science and Geography Director, ODU Model United Nations Program Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

"Es el excremento del Diablo. Nos estamos ahogando en el excremento del Diablo" --Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonso, Fundador OPEPDos mil millones de personas, un tercio de la humanidad, vive en países vinculados a la extracción de recursos naturales. La mayoría de éstos son países en desarrollo cuyas economías dependen de las exportaciones de los mismos. UNCTAD estima que en 95 de 141 países en desarrollo al menos la mitad de sus exportaciones son commodities – y el 80% en promedio para el África Subsahariana.Las estadísticas de la última década para estos países han sido muy alentadoras. Los precios de los commodities se han más que duplicado entre el año 2000 al 2011 gracias el rápido crecimiento de China e India y al alto consumo de los Estados Unidos. Esto significa que cientos de miles de millones de dólares han sido transferidos a los cofres de los países exportadores de recursos naturales. En África, la industria del petróleo a invertido más de 20 mil millones de dólares en exploración y producción y otros 50 mil millones serán invertidos en los próximos años, las cifras más altas de la historia en el continente. Ver tasas de crecimiento anual del 5% o más en países desvastados por guerras como Sudán es algo común en estos días. A primera vista, esto debería despertar euforia en países como los latinoamericanos que se han visto beneficiados con los picos históricos en los precios del petróleo, el cobre y la soja, entre otros. De hecho, muchos de los países se encuentran en un contexto histórico inusual para la región de superávit doble (primario y fiscal) y con un crecimiento económico promedio que no tiene paralelos en las últimas décadas. De hecho, las exportaciones en Chile y en Venezuela se han multiplicado por diez en la última década. Sin embargo, aún con este maná de recursos, 700 millones de personas viven con menos de 2 dólares en la semana en los países exportadores de recursos naturales, representando la mitad de los pobres del mundo. (1) Es impactante el hecho de que 33 de los 50 países menos desarrollados (según el Índice de Desarrollo Humano) son países ricos en recursos naturales. En el caso de nuestra región, ésta continúa siendo la más desigual del mundo y todavía 150 millones de latinoamericanos viven con menos de 2 dólares por día. La "maldición de los recursos" (2) es un término que intenta explicar este fenómeno que no es más que una tragedia humana para los países en desarrollo. Recordemos que Venezuela tenía el PBI per cápita más alto de la región a principios de los años 1970 y hoy tiene la mitad de su población bajo nivel de pobreza. Más paradójico aún es el hecho que simultáneamente países con escasos recursos naturales han logrado desarrollarse. Al mismo tiempo que América Latina perdía posiciones en desarrollo relativo en las últimas décadas, los Tigres Asiáticos, pobres en recursos naturales, crecían sostenidamente y mejoraban la calidad de vida de su población mediante la exportación de productos industriales. Esta "paradoja de la abundancia", tal como Terry Lynn Karl la ha descripto, que parece condenar a millones a la pobreza y la violencia no es un debate nuevo en América Latina. Surge y resurge en cada momento de la historia, renovando esperanzas y acumulando decepciones. Desde la explotación colonial, pasando luego la inserción en la economía mundial como agro-minero-exportadores, el cepalista centro-periferia, hasta el actual boom, han sido todos debates sobre el desarrollo latinoamericano donde los recursos naturales han estado en el centro de escena. Lo que sucede es que la gran mayoría de los países exportadores de recursos naturales no son sólo pobres, sino que muchas veces son hoy más pobres que antes. El estándar de vida en la República Democrática del Congo, Libia, Irán o Papúa Nueva Guinea es menor hoy de lo que era una generación atrás. De los 18 países que tienen menor Índice de Desarrollo Humano hoy que en 1990, 15 de ellos son exportadores netos de recursos naturales. Muchas veces, estos países son más pobres que sus vecinos no tan "bendecidos" o, por lo menos, igual de pobres pero menos pacíficos y democráticos, como es el caso de Nigeria comparado a Ghana. A pesar de ello, algunos países han sido notablemente exitosos. Botswana con sus diamantes ha sido uno de los países de mayor crecimiento en el mundo en las últimas cuatro décadas logrando pasar de ser uno de los países más pobres de África - y el mundo – con solo 12 kilómetros de calles pavimentadas a ser un país de ingreso medio alto más alto que Mexico o Turquía. También Chile y Malasia han logrado evitar la maldición diversificando sus economías y mejorando la calidad de vida de sus ciudadanos. Tales casos no son la excepción e implican que los recursos naturales no son necesariamente una maldición. Desde mediados de los 1990s el debate de los expertos en el tema ha ido alejándose progresivamente de las cuestiones estrictamente económicas y aceptando que el desafío que presenta la abundancia de recursos naturales más que ser un problema estrictamente de fiebre holandesa (3), sino también de índole político. Estudios han demostrado una importante correlación entre abundancia de recursos naturales con democracias débiles, corrupción, clientelismo y guerra civil. (4)Mirando más en detalle, obervamos cómo funciona la "maldición": cuando la economía de un país está concentrada en un recurso tipo minería o petróleo, al estar concentrado geográficamente y requerir la intervención de muy pocos recursos humanos para su extracción – relativos a su peso económico – sucede independientemente de la economía del resto del país. Otra característica es que estos recursos van en gran medida a las arcas del Estado mediante regalías (o explotación directa). Es así como crea incentivos concretos para desencadenar una feroz lucha política por la captura de los mismos. Más importante aún, los gobiernos de turno no tienen la necesidad de colectar impuestos de sus ciudadanos ya que todas sus necesidades financieras están ya cubiertas. Es así como, rompiendo el contrato fiscal de la democracia, los gobernantes tampoco tienen muchos incentivos para cumplir con los derechos de los ciudadanos. El resultado será, casi ineludiblemente, burocracias poco eficientes, limitados controles ciudadanos y, en definitiva, democracias más débiles cuando no dictaduras. Es decir, que los países sufran o no de la maldición tiene que ver con qué es lo que hacen con estos recursos, básicamente cómo los gobiernos logran sobreponerse a los desafíos y oportunidades provenientes de tales recursos. Evitar la maldición es una cuestión de buen gobierno y depende en gran medida de la calidad de sistema político para evitar el mal uso de los recursos, el atropello de las grandes empresas explotadoras y cuidar el medio ambiente y a la población.Si bien es imposible hacer un vademécum de medidas a tomar para evitar la "maldición", países tan dispares como Chile, Malasia o Botswana nos enseñan algunos puntos en común en sus esfuerzos para evitarla. Manteniendo estables el tipo de cambio real de sus monedas y así evitar la apreciación nominal – uno de los síntomas principales de la fiebre holandesa. y Bancos Centrales fuertes han sido claves en este proceso. Fundamental ha sido como estos países han complementado estas políticas monetarias con políticas fiscales eficientes. Por un lado, para generar ahorro y evitar los impactos de las subidas y derrumbes estrepitosos de los precios que normalmente sufren los commodities y, por el otro, de carácter redistributivos para aumentar los ingresos de los sectores no ligados a la exportación. El caso de las políticas activas para ayudar a los Bumiputra en Malasia brindándoles mejores servicios de salud, educación, vivienda y créditos productivos es el más claro ejemplo. Otro punto en común son los esfuerzos realizados para diversificar la economía más allá de sus recursos naturales. Mediante las políticas activas del New Economic Policy, Malasia se convirtió en la década del 80 en el primer exportador de semiconductores del mundo, Chile en los últimos años ha logrado exitosamente diversificar su canasta exportadora al salmón, vino y otros productos; y, aunque más limitadamente, Botswana ha protegido y expandido su sector agropecuario y de servicios. Es importante notar que las principales empresas explotadoras de los recursos son estatales como es el caso de CODELCO en Chile y PETRONAS en Malasia o con amplia participación del gobierno como es el caso de los diamantes en Botswana.Finalmente, y quizás sea el aspecto menos estudiado, es que estos tres casos han invertido fuertemente en la calidad institucional de sus Estados. Muchas veces saliendo de situaciones difíciles tales como la guerra civil de Malasia en los años 60 o Chile luego de la dictadura de Pinochet, los gobiernos se han preocupado por institucionalizar el poder político e incluir a otros actores al sistema. La Concertación en Chile, las políticas consensuales de los Tswanas en Botswana y la alianza multiétnica del Barisan National son ejemplos concretos de políticas inclusivas que brindan estabilidad y evitan grandes conflictos, tan comunes en países como Nigeria o Papúa Nueva Guinea. De la misma manera, la inversión en la calidad técnica del servicio civil, el bajo nivel de corrupción y la fortaleza de los sistemas judiciales son notables. Observar lo que han hecho los países que han, aparentemente, logrado escapar de la maldición de los recursos no sólo es importante porque muchos son países en desarrollo, sino también porque puede brindar herramientas claves para ver fallas de la economía global y sacar de la pobreza a gran parte de la humanidad. Un tercio de África vive en Egipto, Nigeria y Sudán, otros 300 millones viven en Venezuela, Irán e Indonesia. Es decir, un uso socialmente eficiente de los recursos podría sacar de la pobreza a no menos de 500 millones de personas.(1) Cálculos propios utilizando la medida de 2 dólares diarios de las bases del Banco Mundial (World Bank Environmental Accounting Project).(2) Sachs y Warner 1995(3) La teoría dice que cuando un recurso natural tiene un incremento sostenido en su precio, arrastra trabajo y capital de otros sectores de la economía, principalmente la industria, y, por otro lado eleva los precios de los productos no exportables. Entonces, cuando cae el precio del recurso exportado, dado que el resto de la economía se ha contraído al menos en términos relativos, la economía local se encuentra peor que si el boom nunca hubiera ocurrido. Para un artículo reciente al respecto, ver Bresser Pereira, 2008(4) Ver Ross 2001 y 2004, Sachs y Warner 1995, Leite y Weidmann 1999*El autor es Director de Asuntos del Sur www.asuntosdelsur.org Es politólogo de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Posee un MSc de la Universidad de Oxford y un Master of Public Affairs del Instituto de Estudios Políticos de Paris (Sciences Po) donde también es candidato a doctor.Twitter: @MatiasFBianchi .

[EN] The advanced state of land degradation affecting more than 3,200 million people worldwide have raised great international concern regarding the sustainability of socio-ecological systems, urging the large-scale adoption of contextualized sustainable land management. The agricultural industrial model is a major cause of land degradation due to the promotion of unsustainable management practices that deteriorate the quality of soils compromising their capacity to function and deliver ecosystem services. The consequences derived from land degradation are especially devastating in semi-arid regions prone to desertification, where rainfall scarcity and irregularity intensifies crop failure risks and resource degradation, compromising the long term sustainability of these regions. ; Regenerative agriculture (RA) has recently gained increasing recognition as a plausible solution to restore degraded agroecosystems worldwide. RA is a farming approach foreseen to reverse land degradation, increase biodiversity, boost production and enhance the delivery of multiple ecosystem services by following a series of soil quality restoration principles and practices. Despite its promising benefits, RA has been limitedly adopted in semiarid regions. Major reasons explaining this seemingly incongruous mismatch are the scarce and contrasting empirical data proving its effectiveness, top-down research approaches and lack of farmer involvement in agroecosystem restoration projects and decision-making, and the generally slow response of soils to management changes in semiarid regions, which may delay the appearance of visible results discouraging farmers from adopting RA. ; In the high steppe plateau of southeast Spain, an on-going process of large-scale landscape restoration through adoption of regenerative agriculture was initiated in 2015. The high steppe plateau is one of the European regions most affected by land degradation and desertification processes and represents one of the world´s largest areas for the production of rainfed organic almonds. In 2015, local farmers created the AlVelAl association with the support of the Commonland Foundation, business entrepreneurs, regional governments, and research institutions, and started to apply RA at their farms. The objective was to restore vast extensions of degraded land for increasing the productivity and biodiversity of their agroecosystems, increasing the resilience to climate change, generating job opportunities and enhancing social cohesion in the region, in a time frame of 20 years following Commonlands´ 4-Returns approach. However, the limited empirical information supporting RA effectiveness, the lack of reference examples in the region, and the slowness with which visible ecological restoration processes usually occur in semi-arid regions were considered major obstacles hindering RA adoption in the region. To effectively address this knowledge gap, support farmers and expedite RA adoption, this research proposed horizontal research fostering the creation of learning communities between farmers and researchers, putting together local and scientific knowledge to improve the understanding of RA. This thesis presents a participatory monitoring and evaluation research (PM&E) applying a combination of social and ecological methods to evaluate the potential of PM&E to enhance knowledge exchange between farmers and researchers on Regenerative Agriculture in the context of the high steppe plateau. The aim of this thesis is twofold: on one hand, to increase the understanding on RA impacts, on the other hand, to evaluate the potential contribution of PM&E to enable social learning and contribute to the adaptation and long term adoption of RA in the high steppe plateau and semiarid regions in general. To facilitate PM&E of the impacts of sustainable land management and agricultural innovations like RA, Chapter 2 presents a participatory methodological framework that guides the identification and selection of technical and local indicators of soil quality, generating a monitoring system of soil quality for PM&E by farmers and researchers. The methodological framework includes the development of a visual soil assessment tool integrating local indicators of soil quality for farmers´ monitoring. The framework consists of 7 phases: 1) Definition of research and monitoring objectives; 2) Identification, selection and prioritization of Technical Indicators of Soil Quality (TISQ); 3) Identification, selection and prioritization of Local Indicators of Soil Quality; 4) Development of a visual soil assessment tool integrating LISQ; 5) Testing and validation of the visual soil evaluation tool; 6) Monitoring and assessment of sustainable land management impacts by researchers and farmers using TISQ and the visual soil evaluation tool respectively and; 7) Exchange of monitoring results between all involved participants, and joint evaluation of impacts. ; To facilitate PM&E of RA in the steppe highlands, Phases 1 to 5 were applied through a series of participatory methods including a first meeting with AlVelAl board members for the definition of research objectives, farm visits, participatory workshops, and conducting formal and informal interviews, among others. Technical indicators of soil quality were identified, selected and prioritized by researchers through an extensive literature review and ad-hoc expert consultation with expertise in soil quality assessment and monitoring. Local indicators of soil quality were identified, selected, prioritized and validated by farmers in two participatory workshops. The co-developed visual soil assessment tool, named the farmer manual, was tested and validated during the second workshop. Local indicators selected by farmers focused mostly on supporting, regulating and provisioning ecosystem services including water regulation, erosion control, soil fertility and crop performance. Technical indicators selected by researchers focused mostly on soil properties including aggregate stability, soil nutrients, microbial biomass and activity, and leaf nutrients, covering crucial supporting services. The combination of local and technical indicators provided complementary information, improving the coverage and feasibility of RA impact assessment, compared to using technical or local indicators alone. The methodological framework developed in this chapter facilitated the identification and selection of local and technical indicators of soil quality to generate relevant monitoring systems and visual soil assessment tools adapted to local contexts, thus improving knowledge exchange and mutual learning between farmers and researchers to support the implementation of RA and optimize the provision of ecosystem services. Implementation of RA usually happens gradually due to socioeconomic, informational, practical, environmental and political constraints Thus, RA adoption by farmers, in practice, translates into different combinations of RA practices, with a diversity of management, based on farmer capabilities, environmental conditions, and expected restoration results. ; To help the design, adoption and implementation of most effective RA practices to optimize the restoration of agroecosystems, Chapter 3 presents the impacts of the different combinations of RA practices implemented by participating farmers on crucial soil quality and crop performance indicators using previously selected technical indicators of soil quality over a period of 2 years. This chapter corresponds to the application of phase 6 of the methodological framework developed in Chapter 2. RA impacts were assessed in 9 farms on one field with regenerative management and one nearby field with conventional management based on frequent tillage, that were selected together with farmers. Fields were clustered under regenerative management based on the RA practices applied and distinguished 4 types of RA treatments: 1) reduced tillage with green manure (GM), 2) reduced tillage with organic amendments (OA), 3) reduced tillage with green manure and organic amendments (GM&OA), and 4) no tillage with permanent natural covers and organic amendments (NT&OA). The impacts of RA compared to conventional management were evaluated by comparing physical (bulk density and aggregate stability), chemical (pH, salinity, total N, P, K, available P, and exchangeable cations) and biological (SOC, POC, PON, microbial activity) properties of soil quality, and the nutritional status of almond trees (leaf N, P and K). Our results show that GM improved soil physical properties, presenting higher soil aggregate stability. We found that OA improved most soil chemical and biological properties, showing higher contents of SOC, POC, PON, total N, K, P, available P, exchangeable cations and microbial respiration. RA treatments combining ground covers and organic amendments (GM&OA and NT&OA) exhibited greater overall soil quality restoration than individual practices. NT&OA stood out for presenting the highest soil quality improvements. All RA treatments maintained similar crop nutritional status compared to conventional management. We concluded that RA has strong potential to restore the physical, chemical and biological quality of soils of woody agroecosystems in Mediterranean drylands without compromising their nutritional status. Furthermore, farming management combinations of multiple regenerative practices are expected to be more effective than applying individual RA practices. ; In parallel to researchers´ assessment of RA impacts, farmers assessed RA impacts in their farms by using the farmer manual jointly developed in participatory workshops. Chapter 4 presents the RA impact results from farmers´ assessment, and documented farmers´ insights, in the third year of PM&E, on the visual soil assessment process using the farmer manual, and on PM&E outcomes regarding the facilitation of participation and learning processes. This chapter corresponds to the application of phase 6 and phase 7 of the methodological framework developed in Chapter 2. Farmers´ visual soil assessment indicated regenerative agriculture as a promising solution to restore degraded agroecosystems in semiarid Mediterranean drylands, although observed soil quality improvements were relatively small compared to conventional management, and more time and efforts are needed to attain desired restoration targets. The monitoring results on RA reported by farmers were complementary to researchers´ findings using technical indicators of soil quality. Farmers' evaluation of the research project highlighted the PM&E research as an educational process that helped them look differently at their land and their restoration efforts and facilitated the creation of relationships of support and trust, learning and capacity building that are fundamental conducive conditions to enhance farming innovation efficiency and adoption. Farmers confirmed that generating spaces for farmer-to-farmer diffusion of knowledge and on-farm experiences is a key driver to expedite farming testing and adoption of innovations. Farmers insights revealed the need to actively involve them in all decision making phases of VSA tools and support them in initial implementation, in order to develop tools that meet farmers´ needs, to enhance VSA tool adoption, and facilitate reaching restoration goals. Furthermore, farmers´ evaluation of the farmer manual suggested the need to reinforce the multipurpose usefulness and potential benefits of collectively recording restoration progress in a systematized way, to enhance VSA tool adoption. Farmers´ insights on the PM&E research reinforces the importance of developing learning communities of farmers and researchers that provide a platform for exchange of experiences and support, as a crucial factor to favor social learning and support the adoption of long-term agricultural innovations. The success of PM&E research for agroecosystem restoration can be improved by integrating iterative phases where farmers can evaluate and adjust research activities and outcomes. We concluded that the process of PM&E that leads to enhanced social capital, social learning and improved understanding of restoration efforts has as much value as the actual restoration outcomes on the ground. Social learning is considered an important precondition for the adoption of contextualized sustainable land management and farming innovations like RA. The main objective of involving farmers and researchers in PM&E of RA was to enable social learning for enhanced understanding of RA impacts and support adoption of RA. Although there is a growing body of literature asserting the achievement of social learning through participatory processes, social learning has been loosely defined, sparsely assessed, and only partially covered when measured. Confirming that a participatory process has favored social learning implies demonstrating that there has been an acquisition of knowledge and change in perceptions at individual and collective level in the people involved in the participatory process, and that this change in perceptions has been generated through social relations. ; Chapter 5 presents an assessment of how the PM&E research process enabled social learning by effectively increasing knowledge exchange and understanding of RA impacts between participating farmers and researchers, and multiple stakeholders of farmers´ social networks. Occurrence of social learning was assessed by covering its social-cognitive (perceptions) and social-relational (social networks) dimensions. This chapter discusses the potential of PM&E to foster adoption and out-scaling of sustainable land management and farming innovations like RA by promoting the generation of information fluxes between farmers and researchers participating in PM&E and the agricultural community of which they form part. To assess changes in farmers´ perceptions and shared fluxes of information on RA before starting the PM&E and after three years of research, we applied fuzzy cognitive mapping and social network analysis as graphical semi-quantitative methods. Our results showed that PM&E enabled social learning amongst participating farmers who strengthened and enlarged their social networks on information sharing, and presented a more complex and broader common understanding of regenerative agriculture impacts and benefits. This supports the idea that PM&E thereby creates crucial preconditions for the adoption and out-scaling of RA. This study was one of the first studies in the field of natural resource management and innovation adoption proving that social learning occurred by providing evidence of both the social-cognitive and social-relational dimension. Our findings are relevant for the design of PM&E processes, agroecosystem Living Labs, and landscape restoration initiatives that aim to support farmers´ adoption and out-scaling of contextualized farming innovations and sustainable land management. We concluded that PM&E where the democratic involvement of participants is the bedrock of the whole research process and the needs and concerns of the farming community are taken as the basis for collaborative research represents a great opportunity to generate inclusive, engaging, efficient, and sound restoration processes and transitions towards sustainable and resilient agroecosystems. ; ES] El avanzado estado de degradación de la tierra que afecta a más de 3.200 millones de personas en todo el mundo ha suscitado una gran preocupación internacional con respecto a la sostenibilidad de los sistemas socio-ecológicos, instando a la adopción a gran escala de manejos sostenibles de la tierra, adaptados a los diferentes contextos. El modelo agrícola industrial es uno de los principales causantes de la degradación de la tierra debido a la promoción de prácticas agrícolas insostenibles que deterioran la calidad de los suelos, comprometiendo su capacidad de funcionamiento y de prestación de servicios ecosistémicos. Las consecuencias derivadas de la degradación de la tierra son especialmente devastadoras en regiones semiáridas propensas a procesos de desertificación, donde la escasez y la irregularidad de las lluvias intensifican la degradación de los recursos naturales y el riesgo de malas cosechas, comprometiendo la sostenibilidad de estas regiones a largo plazo. Recientemente, la agricultura regenerativa (AR) ha ganado un reconocimiento cada vez mayor como solución plausible para restaurar agroecosistemas degradados de todo el mundo. La AR es un enfoque agrícola que se prevé puede revertir la degradación de la tierra, aumentar la biodiversidad, incrementar la producción y mejorar la prestación de múltiples servicios ecosistémicos mediante el seguimiento de una serie de principios y prácticas de restauración de calidad del suelo. A pesar de los prometedores beneficios de la AR, este enfoque agrícola ha sido adoptado de forma muy limitada en regiones semiáridas. Las principales razones que explican su limitada adopción son: la escasez de datos empíricos que demuestran su efectividad, la información contradictoria que ofrecen dichos datos, los enfoques verticales (top-down), la falta de inclusión, participación y toma de decisiones de las agricultoras/es en los proyectos de restauración de agroecosistemas, y la generalmente lenta respuesta de los suelos en regiones semiáridas a los cambios de manejo, lo que puede retrasar la aparición de resultados visibles y desalentar a agricultoras y agricultores a adoptar la AR. En el altiplano estepario del sureste español se inició en 2015 un proceso de restauración de ecosistemas a gran escala mediante la adopción de la AR. El altiplano estepario es una de las regiones europeas más afectadas por procesos de degradación y desertificación de la tierra, y representa una de las mayores extensiones del mundo de producción de almendras ecológicas en secano. En 2015, agricultoras y agricultores locales crearon la asociación agroecológica AlVelAl con el apoyo de la Fundación Commonland, empresas, gobiernos regionales e instituciones de investigación, y comenzaron a aplicar AR en sus fincas. Su objetivo es restaurar grandes extensiones de tierras degradadas, mejorar la productividad y la biodiversidad, aumentar la resiliencia de sus agroecosistemas al cambio climático, generar oportunidades de empleo y mejorar la cohesión social en la región en el plazo de 20 años, siguiendo el enfoque de 4 retornos de la Fundación Commonland. Sin embargo, la escasez de datos e información que respalden la efectividad de la AR, junto con la falta de ejemplos de referencia en la región y la lentitud con la que los procesos de restauración ecológica suelen ocurrir en regiones semiáridas, fueron considerados grandes obstáculos para promover la adopción de la AR en la región. ; Para abordar de manera efectiva la falta de conocimiento sobre los impactos de la AR y apoyar a la comunidad agrícola a mejorar y acelerar su adopción, son necesarios enfoques de investigación horizontales que fomenten la creación de comunidades de aprendizaje entre agricultoras/es e investigadoras/es, aunando el conocimiento local y científico para mejorar el conocimiento sobre la AR. Esta tesis presenta una investigación de monitorización y evaluación participativa (MEP) donde aplicamos una combinación de métodos sociales y ecológicos para evaluar el potencial de esta metodología de investigación en la mejora del intercambio de conocimientos entre agricultoras/es e investigadoras/es sobre la AR en el contexto del altiplano estepario. El objetivo de esta tesis es doble: por un lado, mejorar el conocimiento de los impactos de la AR y, por otro lado, evaluar la contribución de la MEP en facilitar procesos de aprendizaje social, contribuyendo a una mejor adaptación y adopción a largo plazo de la AR en el altiplano estepario en particular, y en regiones semiáridas en general. Combinar el conocimiento científico y local se vuelve un imperativo en procesos de MEP para mejorar la adopción de innovaciones agrícolas, siendo especialmente relevante en regiones semiáridas que típicamente responden lento a cambios de manejo, lo que suele dar lugar a bajas tasas de adopción de dichas innovaciones. Para ello es necesario generar sistemas de monitorización de calidad del suelo y sostenibilidad de los agroecosistemas que integren el conocimiento de agricultoras/es e investigadoras/es, y estén adaptados al contexto donde se aplican las innovaciones. ; Para facilitar la MEP de los impactos de manejos sostenibles e innovaciones agrícolas como la AR, el Capítulo 2 presenta un marco metodológico que guía la identificación y selección de indicadores técnicos y locales de calidad del suelo, conformando un sistema de monitorización para la evaluación participativa de la AR por parte de investigadoras/es y agricultoras/es. El marco metodológico incluye el desarrollo de una herramienta para la evaluación visual del suelo integrando indicadores locales de calidad de suelo para el monitoreo por parte de las agricultoras/es. El marco metodológico consta de 7 fases e incluye: Fase 1) Definición de objetivos de investigación y monitorización; Fase 2) Identificación, selección y priorización de Indicadores Técnicos de Calidad del Suelo (TISQ); Fase 3) Identificación, selección y priorización de Indicadores Locales de Calidad del Suelo (LISQ); Fase 4) Desarrollo de una herramienta de evaluación visual del suelo integrando LISQ; Fase 5) Puesta en práctica y validación de la herramienta de evaluación visual del suelo; Fase 6) Monitorización y evaluación de los impactos de los manejos implementados por parte de investigadoras/es y agricultoras/es, usando los TISQ y la herramienta de evaluación visual del suelo respectivamente y; Fase 7) Intercambio de los resultados de monitorización entre las participantes y evaluación conjunta de los impactos. Para facilitar la MEP de la AR en el altiplano estepario, se desarrolló este marco metodológico y fueron aplicadas las fases 1 a 5 a través de una serie de metodologías participativas que incluyeron una primera reunión con los miembros de la junta directiva de la asociación AlVelAl para la definición conjunta de objetivos de investigación, visitas a las fincas de las agricultoras/es participantes, el desarrollo de talleres participativos, y la realización de entrevistas formales e informales, entre otras. Las investigadoras/es participantes en la MEP identificaron, seleccionaron y priorizaron indicadores técnicos de calidad del suelo a través de una extensa revisión de literatura científica y la consulta ad-hoc a expertas/os con experiencia en monitorización y evaluación de calidad de suelos. Las agricultoras/es participantes identificaron, seleccionaron, priorizaron y validaron indicadores locales de calidad del suelo en dos talleres participativos. La herramienta de evaluación visual del suelo desarrollada conjuntamente, que denominamos Cuaderno de Campo, fue puesta en práctica y validada durante el segundo taller participativo. Los indicadores locales de calidad de suelo seleccionados por las agricultoras/es se enfocaron principalmente en la evaluación de servicios ecosistémicos de apoyo, regulación y abastecimiento, e incluyeron indicadores de regulación hidrológica, control de la erosión, fertilidad del suelo y rendimiento de los cultivos. Los indicadores técnicos de calidad del suelo seleccionados por las investigadoras/es se consistieron en propiedades fisicoquímicas y biológicas del suelo, incluyendo los indicadores: estabilidad de agregados, nutrientes del suelo, biomasa y actividad microbiana, y nutrientes foliares, y cubriendo importantes servicios ecosistémicos de apoyo. La información complementaria generada al combinar indicadores locales y técnicos de calidad de suelo permite ampliar la cobertura, viabilidad y efectividad en la MEP de los impactos de la AR, en comparación con usar de manera individual indicadores técnicos o indicadores locales. El marco metodológico desarrollado en este capítulo facilitó la identificación y selección de indicadores locales y técnicos de calidad del suelo para generar sistemas de monitorización y herramientas de evaluación visual de suelo relevantes y adaptadas a los contextos locales, lo que permite mejorar el intercambio de conocimientos y el aprendizaje mutuo entre agricultoras/es e investigadoras/es para apoyar la implementación de la AR y optimizar la provisión de servicios ecosistémicos. ; La implementación de la AR por parte de agricultoras/es generalmente ocurre de forma gradual debido a limitaciones socioeconómicas, informacionales, ambientales y políticas. Por ello, la adopción de la AR por parte de agricultoras/ es, se traduce en diferentes combinaciones de prácticas regenerativas y diversidad de manejos determinados por factores socioeconómicos, las capacidades de las agricultoras/es, las condiciones ambientales, y los resultados de restauración que se esperan conseguir. Para ayudar al diseño, adopción e implementación de las prácticas de AR más efectivas para optimizar la restauración de agroecosistemas degradados en ambientes semiáridos, el Capítulo 3 presenta la evaluación de los impactos de diferentes combinaciones de prácticas regenerativas implementadas por las agricultoras/es participantes en la MEP usando los indicadores técnicos de calidad de suelo y de rendimiento del cultivo previamente seleccionados. Este capítulo corresponde a la aplicación de la fase 6 del marco metodológico desarrollado en el capítulo 2. Este capítulo presenta la evaluación de impactos de la AR realizada durante dos años en 9 fincas, donde fueron seleccionados, junto con las agricultoras/es participantes, un campo con manejo regenerativo y un campo cercano con manejo convencional bajo laboreo frecuente (CT). Los campos bajo manejo regenerativo fueron agrupados en base a las prácticas de AR aplicadas, y se diferenciaron 4 tipos de tratamientos regenerativos: 1) laboreo reducido con abono verde (GM), 2) laboreo reducido con enmiendas orgánicas (OA), 3) laboreo reducido con abono verde y enmiendas orgánicas (GM&OA), y 4) no laboreo con cubiertas naturales permanentes y enmiendas orgánicas (NT&OA). Se evaluaron los impactos de la AR con respecto al manejo agrícola convencional comparando las propiedades físicas (densidad aparente y estabilidad agregada), químicas (pH, salinidad, N, P, K total, P disponible y cationes intercambiables) y biológicas (SOC, POC, PON, actividad microbiana) de la calidad del suelo y el estado nutricional de los almendros (N, P y K foliares). Nuestros resultados mostraron que el tratamiento GM mejoró las propiedades físicas del suelo, presentando una mayor estabilidad de agregados. Encontramos que el tratamiento OA mejoró la mayoría de las propiedades químicas y biológicas del suelo, mostrando mayores contenidos de SOC, POC, PON, N, K, P total, P disponible, cationes intercambiables y actividad microbiana. Los tratamientos regenerativos que combinaron cubiertas naturales o abonos verdes con enmiendas orgánicas (GM&OA y NT&OA) exhibieron una mayor restauración general de la calidad del suelo en comparación con los tratamientos con prácticas individuales (GM y OA). El tratamiento NT&OA destacó por presentar las mayores mejorías en la restauración de la calidad del suelo comparado con el manejo convencional. Todos los tratamientos regenerativos mantuvieron un estado nutricional de los almendros similar al manejo convencional. Concluimos que la AR tiene un gran potencial para restaurar la calidad física, química y biológica de los suelos en agroecosistemas de leñosos en el semiárido Mediterráneo sin comprometer el estado nutricional de los cultivos. Es de esperar que los manejos que incluyen múltiples prácticas regenerativas sean más efectivos en la restauración de la calidad del suelo que los manejos con prácticas regenerativas individuales. ; Paralelamente a la evaluación de los impactos de la AR por parte de las investigadoras/es, las agricultoras/es evaluaron los impactos de la AR en sus fincas, utilizando la herramienta de evaluación visual del suelo (Cuaderno de campo), desarrollada conjuntamente en los talleres participativos. El Capítulo 4 presenta los resultados de la evaluación de los impactos de la AR por parte de las agricultoras/es. También presenta las observaciones y la evaluación por parte las/los agricultores, realizadas en el tercer año desde el inicio de la MEP, sobre el proceso de evaluación visual del suelo usando el Cuaderno de Campo, así como sobre el impacto de la MEP en facilitar procesos de participación y aprendizaje en las agricultoras/es participantes. Este capítulo corresponde a la aplicación de las fases 6 y 7 del marco metodológico desarrollado en el Capítulo 2. La monitorización por parte las agricultoras/es mostró que la AR tiene potencial para restaurar agroecosistemas degradados en el semiárido Mediterráneo, aunque las mejoras observadas sobre la calidad del suelo fueron relativamente pequeñas con respecto al manejo convencional, siendo necesario más tiempo y mayores esfuerzos para alcanzar los objetivos de restauración deseados. Las pequeñas mejoras en la calidad del suelo documentadas por las agricultoras/es fueron complementarias a los hallazgos obtenidos por las investigadoras/es usando indicadores técnicos de calidad de suelo. Las agricultoras/es destacaron la MEP como un proceso de aprendizaje que les ayudó a ver sus suelos y sus esfuerzos de restauración de manera diferente, y que facilitó la creación de relaciones de apoyo y el desarrollo de habilidades en ellas/os, los cuales son requisitos fundamentales para fomentar la eficiencia y la adopción de innovaciones agrícolas. Las agricultoras/es confirmaron que la generación de espacios que favorecen el intercambio de conocimientos entre agricultoras/ es, así como las experiencias agrícolas en finca (in situ), son un factor clave para fomentar la experimentación y adopción de innovaciones agrícolas por parte de la comunidad agrícola. Además, las observaciones realizadas por las participantes revelaron la necesidad de involucrar activamente a las agricultoras/es en todas las fases de diseño y toma de decisiones en el desarrollo de herramientas de evaluación visual del suelo con el fin de generar herramientas que satisfagan sus necesidades. Junto con ello, se dedujo que el apoyo del equipo investigador a las agricultoras/ es en las primeras implementaciones de dichas herramientas puede contribuir a mejorar su adopción, facilitando que las usuarias/os consigan los objetivos de restauración deseados. Asimismo, la evaluación del Cuaderno de Campo por parte de las agricultoras/es indicó la necesidad de reforzar la utilidad multipropósito y los beneficios potenciales de registrar de forma sistematizada y colectiva los progresos de restauración, con el fin de aumentar la adopción de estas herramientas por parte de las usuarias/os a las que van dirigidas. La evaluación de la MEP por parte de las agricultoras/es refuerza la importancia de desarrollar comunidades de aprendizaje entre agricultoras/es e investigadoras/es que proporcionen una plataforma para el intercambio de experiencias y de apoyo en el proceso de investigación, lo cual es considerado un factor crucial para favorecer el aprendizaje social y apoyar la adopción de innovaciones agrícolas a largo plazo. Este capítulo concluyó que el éxito de las investigaciones enfocadas a la restauración de agroecosistemas puede incrementar mediante la integración de fases iterativas en las que agricultoras/ es puedan evaluar y ajustar las actividades y los resultados de investigación. Los procesos de MEP, que contribuyen a mejorar el capital social, el aprendizaje social y a generar una mayor comprensión de los esfuerzos de restauración, tienen tanto valor como los propios resultados de restauración sobre el terreno. ; El aprendizaje social es considerado un prerrequisito crucial para la adopción de manejos sostenibles e innovaciones agrícolas adaptados a los diferentes contextos. El objetivo principal de desarrollar una investigación de MEP involucrando a investigadoras/es y agricultoras/es en el altiplano estepario fue permitir el aprendizaje social para lograr una mejor comprensión de los impactos de la AR y así mejorar su adopción. Aunque existen cada vez más investigaciones científicas que afirman que los procesos participativos fomentan el aprendizaje social, este concepto ha sido definido de forma muy diversa, ha sido rara vez evaluado, y ha sido abordado de manera parcial sin cubrir su dimensión cognitiva y su dimensión relacional. Establecer que un proceso participativo ha favorecido el aprendizaje social, implica demostrar que se ha generado una adquisición de conocimientos y que se ha producido un cambio en las percepciones, a nivel individual y a nivel colectivo, de las personas implicadas en el proceso, y que este cambio de percepciones ha sido generado gracias al establecimiento de relaciones sociales, de intercambio de información y experiencias. El Capítulo 5 evalúa cómo la MEP de la AR en el altiplano estepario favoreció el aprendizaje social en las agricultoras/es participantes, mejorando la comprensión de los impactos de la AR al aumentar de manera efectiva el intercambio de conocimientos entre ellas/os, con las investigadoras/es participantes, y con otras personas que forman parte de sus redes sociales. Este capítulo presenta resultados necesarios para probar si la MEP de la AR favoreció el aprendizaje social en las agriculturas/es participantes, evaluando tanto la dimensión social-cognitiva (percepciones) como la dimensión social-relacional (redes sociales) del aprendizaje social. Además, en este capítulo se discute el potencial de la MEP para favorecer la adopción de manejos sostenibles e innovaciones agrícolas a gran escala gracias a fomentar la generación de flujos de información entre las agricultoras/es participantes y la comunidad agrícola de la que forman parte. Utilizamos el mapeo cognitivo difuso (fuzzy cognitive mapping) y el análisis de redes sociales como métodos gráficos semi-cuantitativos para evaluar los cambios de percepciones y de flujos de información compartidos por las agricultoras/ es sobre la AR, antes de empezar la MEP y después de transcurridos tres años de investigación. Nuestros resultados mostraron que la MEP favoreció el aprendizaje social en las agricultoras/es participantes, quienes fortalecieron y ampliaron sus redes sociales de intercambio de información sobre AR, presentando un conocimiento más complejo, común y amplio de los impactos y beneficios de la AR. De esto modo, se demostró que la MEP genera prerrequisitos cruciales para mejorar la adopción de la AR. Este estudio fue uno de los primeros en el ámbito del manejo sostenible de recursos naturales e innovaciones agrícolas que demuestra empíricamente el favorecimiento del aprendizaje social a través de procesos de investigación participativa, proporcionando evidencias tanto en su dimensión social-cognitiva como en su dimensión social-relacional. Nuestros hallazgos tienen una gran relevancia para el diseño de procesos de MEP, como pueden ser los living labs y otras iniciativas de restauración de ecosistemas, que tengan como objetivo apoyar, fortalecer y fomentar la adopción por parte de las comunidades agrícolas de manejos sostenibles e innovaciones agrícolas adaptadas a los diferentes contextos. Las investigaciones de MEP, donde la participación democrática de las/ os participantes y las necesidades de las comunidades agrícolas son consideradas centrales en el proceso de investigación, representan una gran oportunidad para generar procesos inclusivos, atractivos, eficientes y transiciones sólidas hacia agroecosistemas sostenibles y resilientes a largo plazo. ; This research was conducted within the PhD program "Natural Resources and Sustainable Management" in the research team on Agroecology, Food Sovereignty and Commons of the University of Córdoba (Spain), and the Soil and Water Conservation Research Group of the Centre for Applied Soil Science and Biology of the Segura, of the Spanish National Research Council (CEBAS-CSIC), and supported by a PhD fellowship of La Caixa Foundation (ID100010434) (LCF/BQ/ES17/11600008) Chapter 4 - This work was supported by "la Caixa" Foundation (ID100010434) through a PhD fellowship to RLS (LCF/BQ/ES17/11600008), and by the projects DECADE (Séneca Foundation, 20917/PI/18), and XTREME (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation PID2019-109381RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). Chapter 5 - This work was supported by "la Caixa" Foundation (ID100010434) through a PhD fellowship to RLS (LCF/BQ/ES17/11600008), and by the projects DECADE (Seneca Foundation, 20917/PI/18), XTREME (Ministry of Science and Innovation PID2019-109381RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and COASTAL (EU H2020 grant agreement N° 773782). For the Portuguese co-authors, this work was partially funded by National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project UIDB/05183/2020. ; Chapter 2 - This chapter was published as: Luján Soto, R., Cuéllar Padilla, M., and de Vente, J. 2020. Participatory selection of soil quality indicators for monitoring the impacts of regenerative agriculture on ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 45, 101157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101157Chapter 3 - This chapter was published as: Luján Soto, R., Martínez-Mena, M., Cuéllar Padilla, M., and de Vente, J. 2021. Restoring soil quality of woody agroecosystems in Mediterranean drylands through regenerative agriculture. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 306, 107191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2020.107191Chapter 4 - This chapter is a preprint version adapted from: Luján Soto, R., de Vente, J., and Cuéllar Padilla, M. 2021. Learning from farmers´ experiences with participatory monitoring and evaluation of regenerative agriculture based on visual soil assessment. Journal of Rural Studies (in review)Chapter 5 - This chapter is adapted and published as: Luján Soto, R., Cuéllar Padilla, M., Rivera Méndez, M., PintoCorreia, T., Boix-Fayos, C., and de Vente, J. 2021. Participatory monitoring and evaluation of regenerative agriculture to enable social learning, adoption and out-scaling. Ecology & Society. ; Peer reviewed

El agotamiento del petróleo, conocido en la bibliografía especializada como "the peak of oil", no es una inminente catástrofe natural sino una realidad política de largo plazo. Esta presenta serios desafíos, tanto para países consumidores como para países productores. En cuanto a los Estados Unidos, su rol de poder global dentro del orden mundial dependerá en gran medida de la manera en que dicho país responda al desafío energético planteado. En términos prácticos los EE.UU deberán garantizarse a sí mismos y a sus aliados la provisión constante de combustibles convencionales, al tiempo que consolidarse en el primer lugar en la carrera ya librada por desarrollar energías alternativas. Acompañando este doble esfuerzo, el país número uno en difusión de su cultura popular deberá crear y difundir nuevos patrones culturales de consumo de energía. En la primera sección de este artículo presentaré el debate entre los "optimistas" y los "pesimistas" respecto de la disponibilidad futura del petróleo "barato" o "fácil". En la segunda sección presento un análisis, que aplicando la lógica científica e integrando factores económico-políticos, argumenta a favor de los "pesimistas". En la tercera sección explico el modo en que el futuro hegemónico de los EEUU dependerá de la manera en que sea manejada una "transición energética de largo plazo" y presento algunas recomendaciones generales. 1. Pesimismo Científico Vs. Optimismo Falaz: El modelo de Hubbert. El modelo del "peak of oil" de Hubbert (1) afirma que partiendo desde cero, la producción de todo pozo petrolero crece hasta alcanzar su pico máximo en el momento en que la mitad de las reservas han sido extraídas. Luego de este "punto medio", la tasa de extracción comienza una irreversible declinación. Este fenómeno puede ser representado en forma de campana de Gaus. En esta función logarítmica el área contenida dentro de la campana expresa la producción acumulada. El modelo fue diseñado al observar la vida útil de los pozos petroleros de los EEUU hacia la década del 50 y desde entonces cada nueva cuenca petrolífera ha seguido el mismo patrón. El modelo es simple y provee una explicación científica de gran parsimonia para el fenómeno del agotamiento petrolero. Nadie ha refutado teóricamente este razonamiento de solidas bases epistemológicas, pero lo que es más preocupante aun: las estadísticas de la producción han confirmado el patrón en la práctica. No solo eso. La tasa de descubrimiento de nuevos pozos de petróleo alrededor del mundo ha venido describiendo una curva similar. Tal es así puesto que el principio que Hubbert aplicó al petróleo, es el que se observa en el consumo de todo recurso consumido de manera "libre" y "normal". Independientemente de la fecha exacta en que el pico mundial ha sido o será alcanzado, lo que resulta importante es el patrón general de declinación productiva. A esta declinación debe adicionarse el hecho de que el consumo energético se incrementa sostenidamente a escala global a un ritmo que la producción no puede ni podrá seguir. El Optimismo de los críticos de Hubbert se basa generalmente en señalar que su modelo no ha tenido en cuenta distintos factores relevantes. En efecto, aspectos técnico-geológicos, económicos y políticos no forman parte del mismo. Sin embargo, veremos que dichos factores no niegan la conclusión principal del modelo, esta es, la irreversible declinación productiva, sino que solo refieren a la posibilidad de extender su plazo. Podemos dividir en tres grupos a quienes afirman que el petróleo "fácil" o "barato" seguirá estando disponible(2): Hechos Geológicos y Argumentos Técnicos:"Las reservas mundiales eran de 645 billones de barriles en 1977. Hacia 1990 fueron producidos alrededor de 320 billones de barriles. Sin embargo las reservas ascienden hoy a casi 1 trillon de barriles. (…) El agotamiento es como el horizonte, siempre alejándose a medida que uno se mueve hacia el." (Adelman: 1991, p.4)"…extensas aéreas del planeta permanecen inexploradas o solo superficialmente evaluadas (…) valores inicialmente citados para el extracción ultima estimado(3) tienden a crecer en el tiempo debido a taladros adicionales o mayores tasas de recuperación." (Smil: 2008, p. 171)"Consideremos, por ejemplo, que solamente en Texas han sido instaladas 1 millón de bombas, contra 2300 en todo Irak y que hoy hay más de 569.000 bombas produciendo en los EE.UU contra apenas más de 1500 en Arabia Saudita."(Maugeri: 2006, p.204)"Cuando un nuevo pozo es encontrado recibe un tamaño estimado que indica cuando se supone que es extraíble en ese momento. Sin embargo a medida que los años pasan la estimación es casi siempre corregida ascendentemente. (…) Cientos de pozos que producen "petróleo fácil" hoy, fueren una vez considerados tecnológicamente inalcanzables. (…) Como los saudíes han demostrado recientemente en Ghawar, inversión adicional –para encontrar nuevos depósitos y realizar nuevas perforaciones- puede mantener la producción total de un pozo." (Michael Lynch, "Peak oil is a waste of energy", New York Times, August 25, 2009)Observación: Incluso una exploración extendida hacia todos los rincones del planeta y el uso intensivo de tecnología no cambiarían el patrón general descrito por el modelo de Hubbert. Por otra parte, es necesario destacar que no todos los argumentos expuestos se refieren al petróleo "fácil" o "barato". Argumentos Económico-Financieros:"El petróleo sigue siendo abundante y el precio probablemente bajara a su nivel histórico de U$S 30 el barril a medida que nueva provisión llegue de las aguas profundas de África Occidental y América Latina, del Este Africano y quizá de los campos de petróleo de esquisto (4) en Montana o Dakota del Norte" (Michael Lynch, "Peak oil is a waste of energy", New York Times, August 25, 2009)"El elevado precio de la ultima década ha generado también un masivo salto tecnológico (…) el esquisto en Norteamérica es tan vasto que hay planes para su exportación como el GNL (5) de la costa Oeste de Canadá. (…) Los elevados precios han disparado revoluciones tecnológicas similares a lo largo de toda la cadena de producción energética, haciendo descender los costos de extraer petróleo de las arenas canadienses, la Tundra siberiana y el mar brasilero." (Edward Morse: 2009, p.5) "Cuanto más limita la OPEC su propia producción para subir los precios, mas las compañías internacionales tienen incentivos para invertir dinero en el desarrollo de nuevas Fuentes fuera de la OPEC." (Maugeri: 2009, p. 260)Observación: Estos argumentos son verdades parciales referidos principalmente al sector productivo de la industria petrolera y, particularmente a las compañías internacionales de petróleo (IOC's). Sin embargo, estas compañías solo dominan el 8% de las reservas mundiales de crudo y pocas aéreas accesibles para la exploración. Estos argumentos no toman en cuenta a los países consumidores y las implicancias para sus presupuestos nacionales. Por otra parte, al igual que el grupo anterior, los argumentos expuestos no se refieren al petróleo "fácil" y "barato". Argumentos Políticos y de Seguridad:"Así como en los 70s se trato del embargo petrolero árabe y la revolución iraní, hoy se trata de la invasión a Irak y la inestabilidad política en Venezuela y Nigeria. Pero la solución, como siempre, es un cambio en el destino de las inversiones de la industria hacia nuevas regiones, y esto es lo que se está haciendo." (Michael Lynch, "Peak oil is a waste of energy", New York Times, August 25, 2009)"Un periodo extendido de bajos precios podría revertir el proceso hacia el nacionalismo de los recursos, la tendencia de los países productores a concentrar el control de sus recursos en manos de entidades estatales…" (Edward Morse: 2009, p.1) "…la imagen espejada de los países consumidores y su histeria por la inseguridad petrolera ha sido el creciente "nacionalismo de los recursos" por parte de los productores (…) la leyes del mercado –aunque imperfectas- han prevalecido siempre manteniendo el desastre a raya. (…) hasta Osama Bin Laden parece haber tomado una mirada cauta en relación a los precios del petróleo." (Maugeri: 2006, p. 266)Observación: Diluir y perder de vista los desafíos políticos y de seguridad en un mar llamado "Mercado" lleva a la confusión y resulta peligroso. Debido a que "the true threat to that security arises from political reasons exogenous to the energy market itself." (Doran: 2007, p. 234)Una Perspectiva Realista:Los argumentos optimistas son semánticamente elusivos al negar el "peak of oil": Por un lado tienden a interpretar "seguridad" de manera literal. Al mismo tiempo, algunos de ellos afirman eufemísticamente que "…a process of de-conventionalization is taking place". (6) En mi opinión, el sentido del debate debe referirse al petróleo "fácil" definido como "…high quality, close to the market and not too expensive to extract." (7) Las proposiciones optimistas toman las variables técnicas, económicas y políticas de manera aislada, sin combinarlas entre ellas y de acuerdo a sus propias presuposiciones: Esta simplificación ignora hechos, impide contemplar el amplio abanico de externalidades negativas o nos lleva a explicaciones tautológicas. Hechos y Externalidades Negativas Ignoradas por los Optimistas:Un tercio del déficit comercial de los EEUU se debe a la importación de petróleo.El precio del petróleo afecta la estructura relativa del precio de los alimentos debido a los insumos derivados requeridos por la agricultura.El rol del dólar como moneda de referencia para el precio del petróleo afecta negativamente a los EEUU vis a vis países productores y otros consumidores, particularmente China. El 70% del petróleo mundial se encuentra en el Golfo Pérsico. Si bien esta región es una proveedora menor para los EEUU, dada la elevada integración del Mercado petrolero, cualquier disrupción, en cualquier punto afectaría los precios para el sistema en su conjunto. La elevada vulnerabilidad de los pozos de petróleo, refinerías y puntos neurálgicos de las rutas comerciales. El costo político y económico que acarrea para los EEUU las medidas para asegurar el Golfo Pérsico. Las implicancias de un Irán nuclearizado que adicionara nuevas tensiones a la región. Contradicciones y Explicaciones Tautológicas ofrecidas por los Optimistas: El "basto petróleo disponible" no está disponible debido a que la inversión correcta no puede alcanzar el lugar correcto.Mientras tanto, distintos aspectos del "peak of oil" se hacen evidentes aun para la prensa no especializada: "Desde iniciados los 80s, los descubrimientos no lograron igualar la tasa global de consumo (…) En cambio, las compañías han logrado expandir la producción encontrando nuevos modos de extraer mas petróleo de los pozos existentes, o produciendo mediante recursos no convencionales, como las arenas bituminosas canadienses o el petróleo pesado de Venezuela." (Jad Mouawad, "Oil Industry Sets a Brisk Pace of New Discoveries", New York Times, September 24, 2009).El bien documentado libro del Profesor Klare "Rising Powers Shrinking Planet" ha descrito al detalle el modo en que el mercado energético se está tornando cada vez más politizado al tiempo que las compañías nacionales de petróleo y sus gobiernos trabajan asertivamente para satisfacer sus necesidades. Ante el aumento en la competencia y la carrera tecnológica, ¿que deberían hacer los EEUU?2. El Futuro de los EEUU y el Orden MundialLa creciente demanda energética, por un lado, y la declinación en la producción y accesibilidad petrolera por el otro, representan un serio desafío para los EE.UU y su rol de poder global. Un EEUU herido económicamente se vería amenazado en su status y su rol hegemónico estaría en riesgo, aún mas de lo que ya se encuentra hoy. Nos encontramos en una nueva etapa histórica y el futuro de los EEUU dependerá de las decisiones que sean tomadas así como del modo en que sean implementadas. De acuerdo al professor Smil: "…energy transitions have always been among the most important stimuli for technical advances." (Smil:2008 p. 175) Sería en el interés de los EEUU seguir este razonamiento que implica que "…an indisputable peak followed by precipitous decline in production would not trigger and unchecked bidding for the remaining oil but would rather accelerate an ongoing shift to other energy sources." (Smil: 2008, p.174) Sin embargo el final feliz no está asegurado. Los EEUU deberán trabajar para modelar una nueva cultura energética que reduzca y haga más eficiente el consumo. Al mismo tiempo deberán situarse primeros en la carrera tecnológica que implica la búsqueda de energías alternativas. EEUU deberá seguir lidiando con los desafíos actuales del mercado mundial del petróleo debido a que las energías alternativas no son económicamente competitivas todavía. El reto es económico, político y tecnológico.La historia ha dejado algunas lecciones que deben ser tomadas en cuenta. Entre especialistas es extendido el acuerdo respecto de que luego de cada recesión, al repuntar la demanda de energía, esta es menor que en el periodo previo. Las medidas de conservación y eficiencia que explican dicho fenómeno deben ser estudiadas, mejoradas y popularizadas. Por otra parte, los miembros de la OPEC, al igual que otros productores, se encuentran enfrentando sus propios problemas brindando una oportunidad a la diplomacia constructiva. El creciente mercado de gas natural licuado y el proceso de concientización respecto del calentamiento global se presentan como fenómenos planetarios haciendo posible la movilización de la opinón publica para fines políticos. El desafío es serio pero no insoluble. Como expresó el Profesor Adelman refiriendose a la batalla entre el precio de las commodities y la carrera científica:"Historically, knowledge has won and almost all mineral prices have decreased, though this need not always be true. If costs rise, they will inflict higher prices, which will choke off demand." (Adelman: 1991, p.2) En términos generales puede establecerse que: 1) Deben tomarse medidas para mitigar y retardar las consecuencias del decrecimiento en la accesibilidad al petróleo "fácil". 2) El desarrollo de tecnologías substitutas debe ser una prioridad cuyos efectos solo podrán ser efectivos si es perseguida a escala global. 3) Esta carrera implica una competencia que podría llegar a resultar en un nuevo balance de poder mundial. La estrategia general de los EEUU debe sustentarse en la idea de que "…the resolution to the conflict between America's current approach to energy and the enviroment is one of the most effective ways to bring the country back toward a more constructive relationship with the rest of the word…" (Fuerth: 2005, p.412) Los EEUU necesitan reconstruir un nuevo estilo de liderazgo global basado en su tradicional mensaje de libertad y democracia que pueda interpelar las esperanzas y necesidades actuales de la poblacion mundial. El desafío es global. En el corto plazo se trata de competencia económica, en el mediano plazo se trata del balance de poder y en el largo plazo se trata de liderar exitosamente una nueva transiciçon energética. En cada una de estas etapas es necesario tener presente que cada vez que un combustible natural fue reemplazado por otro, se debió a factores económicos de mercado y no al agotameinto de recursos. (1) Marion King Hubbert (1903 –1989), geólogo, se desempeño como geólogo en el laboratorio de investigación de la compañía Shellen Houston, Texas.(2) Listamos aquí los argumentos utilizados frecuentemente por los "optimistas" sin implicar esto el etiquetamiento de determinado investigador como tal. (3) He traducido el término Estimated Ultimate Recovery como "extracción ultima estimada".(4) Bakken oil shale fields(5) Gas Natural Licuado.(6) Maugeri: 2006, p 220.(7) Simmons. Citado en Doran: 2007 p. 236. También definido como: "…low in sulfur, near the surface, geographically close to markets and exportable." Doran: 2006, p.44.*Sociólogo, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)Maestría en Estudios Internacionales, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Tesista) Schusterman Center for Israel Studies Fellow, Brandeis University Bibliografía:"Athabasca Oil Sands," "Hydro-Quebec," and "Hydro-Quebec's electricity transmission system,' from Wikipedia (each is a professional, up-to-date source, with links to government documents)."Canadian Oil Sands Project Is Delayed," New York Times, May 15, 2008.Adelman, Morris A. "Oil Fallacies." In Economics of Petroleum Supply: Papers by M. A. Adelman 1962-1993 (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1993), Chapter 27, 537-548. Reprinted from Foreign Policy (Spring 1991): 2-16.Anthony Sampson, The Seven Sisters: The Great Oil Companies and the World They Shaped (1980); [SKIM].Arthur van Benthem, Kenneth Gillingham, and James Sweeney, "Learning-by-Doing and the Optimal Solar Policy in California," The Energy Journal29, 3 (2008)Bassam Fattouh, "OPEC Pricing Power: The Need for a New Perspective," Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, WPM 31 (March 2007).Colin J. Campbell and Jean H. Laherrère, "The End of Cheap Oil," Scientific American (March 1998), 78-83.Cordesman, Anthony H. and Khalid R. Al-Rodhan. The Global Oil Market: Risks and Uncertainties (Significant Issues Series, Vol. 28, No. 1). Washington, D.C.: The CSIS Press, 2006. David C. Mowery and Nathan Rosenberg, Paths of Innovation: Technological Change in 20th Century America (Cambridge University Press, 1998, 1999): "Concluding Observations," pp. 167-179.David G. Victor and Sarah Eskreis-Winkler, "In the Tank: Making the Most of Strategic Oil Reserves," Foreign Affairs (July/August 2008): 70-83.Deffeyes, Kenneth S. Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert's Peak. New York: Hill and Wang, 2005. Deutch, John M. and Lester, Richard K., Making Technology Work: Applications in Energy and the Environment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008):Dieter Helm, "The Assessment: Climate-Change Policy," Oxford Review of Economic Policy 19, 3, 349-361.Doran, "International Energy Security and North America," in Isabel Studer and Carol Wise, eds., Requiem or Revival? The Promise of North American Integration (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2007), pp. 232-246.Doran, "Life after Easy Oil," American Interest 3, 6 (July/August 2008): 43-51.Doran, "OPEC Structure and Cohesion: Exploring the Determinants of Cartel Policy," Journal of Politics 42, 1 (1980): 82-101.Doran, Myth, Oil, and Politics: Introduction to the Political Economy of Petroleum (New York: The Free Press, 1977), "Economic Theory of Cartels," 138-141.Energy" (Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa; The Parkland Institute, Edmonton)Finn R. Førsund, Balbir Singh, Trond Jensen, Cato Larsen, "Phasing in Wind-power in Norway: Network Congestion and Crowding-out of Hydropower," Energy Policy (2008).George Hobert, "Alberta's Oil Sands: Key Issues and Impacts," 2008-06-18, on Mapleleafweb.com.Goodstein, David. Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004.Gregory F. Nemet and Daniel M. Kammen, "U.S. Energy Research and Development: Declining Investment, Increasing Need, and the Feasibility of Expansion," Energy Policy 35 (2007): 746-755.Hogan, William W., "Energy in 'Hedging Against Uncertainty: US Strategy in an Interdependent World," National Strategy Forum Review, Vol. 17, 3, 2008. http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~WHogan/hoganenergy_Nat_Srat_0808.pdf.Hugh McCullum, "Fortress America: A Report on the Athabasca Tar Sands and U.S. Demands for Canada'sIn Rising above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007)Jan H. Kalicki and David L. Goldwyn, eds., Energy and Security: Toward a New Foreign Policy Strategy (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005): Edward L. Morse and Amy Myers Jaffe, "OPEC in Confrontation with Globalization," 65-96.John Arnold McKinsey, "Regulating Avian Impacts under the Migratory Bird Treaty and Other Laws: The Wind Industry Collides with One of Its Own, the Environmental Protection Movement," Energy Law Journal 28, 1 (2007): 71-92.John Gault, Charles Spierer, Jean-Luc Bertholet, Bahman Karbassioun, "How Does OPEC Allocate Quotas?" Journal of Energy Finance and Development 4 (1999): 137-148.John M. Blair, The Control of Oil (New York: Pantheon Books, 1976):Joshua P. Fershee, "Changing Resources, Changing Market: The Impact of a National Renewable Portfolio Standard on the U.S. Oil Industry," Energy Law Journal 29, 1 (2008): 49-77.Kalicki and Goldwyn, eds., Energy & Security (2005):Kalicki and Goldwyn, eds., Energy & Security:Klare, Michael T. Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2008.M. King Hubbert, "Energy Resources," in National Academy of Sciences – National Research Council, Resources and Man: A Study and Recommendations (San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1969), 157-242. Matthew R. Simmons, Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy (John Wiley & Sons, 2005)Maugeri, Leonardo: "Tha Age of Oil", 2006.Michael T. Klare, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy (2008).Morse, Edward, L; "Low and Behold", Foreign Affairs, Sept/Oct 2009, Vol 88, Issue 5.National Energy Board, 2006). National Energy Board. Canada's Oil Sands. Opportunities and Challenges to 2015: An Update (Ottawa:Newell, Richard G., "What's the Big Deal about Oil?" Resources, fall 2006, pp. 6-10. http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-Resources-163_TheBigDealAboutOil.pdfParry, Ian W.H., Margaret Walls, and Winston Harrington, "Automobile Externalities and Policies," Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 45, 2, 2007, 373-379.Pierre-Olivier Pineau, "An Integrated Canadian Electricity Market? The Potential for Further Integration," Geopolitics of Energy 29, 6 (June 2007).Richard A. Kerr, "How Hot Will the Greenhouse World Be?" pp.100-101.; Richard A. Kerr and Robert F. Service, "What Can Replace Cheap Oil – and When?" p. 101; Erik Stokstad, "Will Malthus Continue to Be Wrong?" p. 102.Robert E. Mabro, "OPEC after the Oil Revolution," Millennium 4 (Winter 1975-76): 191-199.Robert J. Brecha, "Emission Scenarios in the Face of Fossil-fuel Peaking,"Energy Policy (2008).Science, Vol. 309, No. 5731 (1 July 2005), "125 Questions: What Don't We Know," 125th Anniversary Issue, AAAS:Shilpa Rao, Ilkka Keppo, and Keywan Riahi, "Importance of Technological Change and Spillovers in Long-Term Climate Policy," The Energy Journal(2006): 123-283.Stephen P. A. Brown and Hillard G. Huntington, "Energy Security and Climate Change Protection: Complementarity or Tradeoff?" Energy Policy(2008).William Nordhaus, A Question of Balance: Weighing the Options on Global Warming Policies, New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 2008.

La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, adoptada por todos los Estados Miembros de las Naciones Unidas en 2015, proporciona un modelo compartido para la paz y prosperidad para las personas y el planeta, ahora y en el futuro. Para ello, se han desarrollo 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, como llamada urgente a la acción de todos los países desarrollados y en desarrollo, para aunar fuerzas en una estrategia global. Estos Objetivos están enfocados en temas como el agua, la energía, el clima, los océanos, la urbanización, el transporte, la ciencia y la tecnología. Para que la consecución de estos Objetivos sea una realidad, es necesaria la adopción de un fuerte compromiso por parte de todas las partes interesadas para implementar los objetivos globales. Para alcanzar este desarrollo sostenible, la Unión Europea ha desarrollado políticas que abogan por una transición hacia la "bioeconomía", esto es, una economía destinada a reducir la dependencia de los recursos fósiles, limitar las emisiones de gases invernadero y el impacto medioambiental, salvaguardar la seguridad alimentaria, garantizar un crecimiento económico sostenible, y cerrar el círculo de uso de recursos. La aplicación de los principios de la economía circular a la bioeconomía podría representar una valiosa contribución a la optimización del rendimiento de la misma, con el fin de conseguir la circularidad de los residuos biológicos y subproductos generados por los diferentes sectores productivos. Uno de los sectores que más residuos biológicos genera es la actividad agrícola. Según la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación, en el año 2017, la producción de alimentos a nivel mundial fue de alrededor de 6.100 millones de toneladas. Si tenemos en cuenta que la producción de una tonelada de alimentos puede llegar a producir entre 0,45 – 1,2 toneladas de residuos biológicos, se estima que se producen anualmente entre 2.745 y 7.320 millones de toneladas de residuos biológicos susceptibles de ser valorizados. Generalmente, estos residuos son utilizados como alimentación para la actividad ganadera, enterrados en la tierra de cultivo como enmienda agrícola o quemados para la producción de energía. Sin embargo, ninguno de estos usos aporta un gran valor añadido al sector agroalimentario, ni son suficientes para gestionar el volumen generado. La valorización de estos residuos biológicos, también conocidos por su composición como materiales lignocelulósicos, puede producirse mediante procesos de biorrefinería. La biorrefinería consiste en la separación de los diferentes componentes que conforman los materiales lignocelulósicos, y su aprovechamiento por separado con el fin de obtener productos de alto valor añadido. Uno de los productos que pueden obtenerse derivados de los materiales lignocelulósicos es la nanocelulosa. La nanocelulosa es el producto de la desintegración de las fibras celulósicas hasta un tamaño de entre 3 – 100 nm de diámetro y 1 – 4 micrómetros de longitud. Uno de los tipos de nanocelulosa más estudiados son las nanofibras de celulosa. Para producirlas es necesario someter a las fibras celulósicas a un tratamiento de desintegración mecánica para provocar la delaminación de la fibra, aislando así las fibras nanométricas. Este proceso requiere de un elevado consumo energético para asegurar la eficacia del proceso de nanofibrilación. Con el fin de disminuirlo y aumentar la eficiencia del proceso, se han desarrollado diferentes pretratamientos a los que someter la fibra de celulosa antes de su nanofibrilación. La producción de nanofibras de celulosa, o lignonanofibras de celulosa en el caso de contener lignina en su composición, depende de múltiples factores como la composición química de la materia prima de partida, el proceso de obtención de pastas celulósicas, y la combinación de pretratamiento – tratamiento. Dos de los sectores que más demandan este producto son el sector papelero (papel y cartón) y el del envasado alimentario. En el primero debido al efecto refuerzo que produce la interacción nanofibrafibra sobre los productos finales de papel y cartón, así como su uso como alternativa al refinado mecánico convencional en los procesos de reciclado, con el objetivo de alargar la vida útil de estos productos. En el segundo porque las nanofibras de celulosa se postulan como gran candidato para la sustitución estructural de polímeros plásticos, además de mejorar sus propiedades mecánicas y barrera. Ambos sectores concentran más del 83% de la demanda de este producto en el sector industrial. En la presente Tesis Doctoral se aborda el estudio de la idoneidad de diferentes residuos agro-industriales, como la paja de cereal (trigo, cebada, avena y maíz) y las hojas de platanera, como materia prima para la producción de lignonanofibras de celulosa y su aplicación en suspensiones papeleras y envases alimentarios. Para ello se realizó un estudio preliminar de la producción, mediante tratamientos mecánicos, de lignonanofibras de celulosa a partir de pasta celulósica obtenida mediante un proceso "a la sosa" empleando paja de trigo como materia prima. Los resultados obtenidos presentaron valores similares a los obtenidos con el uso de pastas celulósicas de producción industrial a partir de materias primas madereras. También se analizó el efecto refuerzo de las mencionadas lignonanofibras sobre suspensiones papeleras, así como la influencia del contenido en finos sobre la eficacia del refuerzo producido. Posteriormente se compararon los efectos que diferentes procesos de pasteado, "a la sosa", Kraft y organosolv, ejercían sobre las características físicas y químicas de las lignonanofibras. Se evaluó, a su vez, el efecto de dos pretratamientos diferentes (oxidación catalítica utilizando 2,2,6,6-tetrametilpiperidina-1-oxilo "TEMPO" y refinado mecánico) sobre las características de las lignonanofibras producidas. Tras la optimización del proceso de pasteado, se realizó un estudio comparativo de la idoneidad de diferentes pajas de cereales (trigo, avena, maíz y cebada) como materia prima para la producción de lignonanofibras. Se analizó la influencia de las características de la materia prima sobre el efecto de tres pretratamientos diferentes (oxidación catalítica TEMPO, hidrólisis enzimática y refinado mecánico). Además, se desarrolló un método analítico basado en la técnica de fraccionamiento en flujo mediante campo de flujo asimétrico (AF4), para la determinación del tamaño nanométrico de las lignonanofibras, comparándola con otras técnicas convencionales utilizadas. A continuación, se estudió la aplicación de lignonanofibras de celulosa, de paja de trigo y platanera como materia prima, en suspensiones papeleras, analizando múltiples factores que pueden influir en la efectividad de la aplicación de estas lignonanofibras como agente de refuerzo. Por un lado, se estudió el efecto de los tres pretratamientos en la efectividad de las lignonanofibras como agente reforzante, así como el coste asociado. Y por el otro, se estudió la idoneidad de la hoja de platanera como materia prima para la producción de lignonanofibras, así como su empleo en el proceso de reciclado del cartón. En este último caso se estudió también el efecto de la basura aniónica presente en las aguas de proceso sobre la efectividad del uso de lignonanofibras en el proceso de reciclaje. Debido a la influencia negativa de esta carga, se desarrolló un proceso de neutralización del agua de proceso obteniendo valores similares a los obtenidos con el uso de agua corriente. Además, se realizó un estudio económico de la aplicación de lignonanofibras como tecnología en el reciclado del cartón en comparación con el proceso de refinado mecánico convencional. Posteriormente se compararon tres tratamientos de nanofibrilación diferentes; homogeneizador a alta presión, molino de fricción y extrusora de doble tornillo, con el fin de reducir el consumo energético en la producción de lignonanofibras y hacer esta tecnología competitiva frente al refinado mecánico utilizado actualmente en la industria papelera. Por último, se exploró la aplicación de estas lignonanofibras en envases alimentarios. Para ello se analizó el efecto que el contenido residual de lignina contenido en las lignonanofibras ejerce sobre las propiedades finales de films producidos a partir de alcohol polivinílico. Se estudió a su vez el efecto que la oxidación catalítica TEMPO puede ejercer sobre las ventajas que presenta la aplicación de lignonanofibras, en comparación al uso de nanofibras, sobre las propiedades mecánicas, barrera y antioxidantes de los films producidos. ; Members of the United Nations in 2015, provide a shared model for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. For this purpose, 17 Sustainable Development Goals have been developed as an urgent wakeup call by all developed and developing countries to join forces in a global strategy. These Goals are focused on issues such as water, energy, climate, oceans, housing development, transport, science, and technology. For the fulfillment of these goals come true, it is necessary a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. The European Union has developed policies that advocate a transition to the "bioeconomy" to achieve this sustainable development. The main objective of the "bioeconomy include, reducing dependence on fossil resources, limiting greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact, safeguarding food security, ensuring sustainable economic growth, and closing the circle of resource use. The application of the principles of the circular economy to the bioeconomy could represent a valuable contribution to the optimization of its performance in order to achieve the circularity of biological waste and by-products generated by different productive sectors. The agricultural activity is one of the sectors that generates more biological waste. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2017, global food production was around 6.1 billion tons. If we consider that the production of one ton of food can produce between 0.45 - 1.2 tons of biological waste, it is estimated that between 2,745 and 7,320 million tons of biological waste that are produced every year can be recovered. Generally, these residues are used as food for livestock activity, buried in farmland as an agricultural amendment or burned for energy production. However, none of these uses brings great added value to the agrifood sector, nor they are enough to manage the volume generated. The recovery of this biological waste, also known for its composition as lignocellulosic materials, can be produced by means of biorefinery processes. Biorefining consists of separating the different components that compose the lignocellulosic materials and using them in a separate way to obtain high added value products One of the products obtained from lignocellulosic materials is nanocellulose. It is the product of the disintegration of cellulosic fibers up to a size of between 3 - 100 nm in diameter and 1 - 4 micrometers in length. One of the most studied types of nanocellulose are the cellulose nanofibers. These nanometric fibers can be isolated by means of a mechanical disintegration treatment applied to the cellulosic fibers, production their delamination. This process requires a high energy consumption to ensure the effectiveness of the nanofibrillation process. In order to reduce it and increase the efficiency of the process, different pre-treatments have been developed. The production of cellulose nanofibers, or lignocellulose nanofibers, when containing lignin in its composition, depends on multiple factors such as the chemical composition of the starting raw material, the process of obtaining cellulose pulp, and the combination of pretreatment - treatment. Two of the sectors that most demand this product are those related to paper along with cardboard and food packaging. The first one is due to the reinforcing effect produced by the nanofiber-fiber interaction on the final paper and cardboard products, as well as its use as an alternative to conventional mechanical refining in recycling processes, with the aim of extending the useful life of these products. In the second case, cellulose nanofibers are a great candidate for the structural replacement of plastic polymers also improving their mechanical properties and barrier properties. Both sectors concentrate more than 83% of the demand for this product in the industrial sector. This Doctoral Thesis deals with the study of the suitability of different agroindustrial residues, such as cereal straw (wheat, barley, oats and corn) and banana leaves, as raw material to produce lignocellulose nanofibers and their application in paper suspensions and food containers. For this purpose, a preliminary study was carried out on the production, by means of mechanical treatments, of lignocellulose nanofibers from cellulose pulp obtained from a "soda" process using wheat straw as raw material. The results obtained presented values similar to those obtained with the use of cellulose pulp of industrial production from wood raw materials. The reinforcement effect of the mentioned lignonanofibers on paper suspensions was also analyzed, as well as the influence of the fine content on the efficiency of the produced reinforcement. Subsequently, the effects that distinguish pasteurizing processes, "soda", Kraft and organosolv, exerted on the physical and chemical characteristics of the lignonanofibers were compared. The effect of two different pretreatments (TEMPO catalytic oxidation and mechanical refining) on the characteristics of the lignonanofibers produced was also evaluated. After the optimization of the pasteurization process, a comparative study of the suitability of different cereal straws (wheat, oats, corn and barley) as raw material to produce lignonanofibers was carried out. The influence of raw material characteristics on the effect of three different pretreatments (catalytic oxidation TEMPO, enzymatic hydrolysis and mechanical refining) was analyzed. In addition, an analytical method based on the asymmetric flow field fractionation technique (AF4) was developed to determine the nanometric size of the lignonanofibers, by comparing it with other conventional techniques employed previously Next, the application of lignocellulose nanofibers, wheat straw and banana as raw material in paper suspensions was studied, by analyzing multiple factors that may influence the effectiveness of the application of these lignonanofibers as a reforcing agent. On one hand, the effect of the three pretreatments on the effectiveness of lignonanofibers as a reinforcing agent was studied, as well as the associated cost. On the other hand, the suitability of banana leaf as raw material to produce lignonanofibers was studied and its use in the cardboard recycling process. In the latter case, the effect of the anionic waste present in the process waters on the effectiveness of the use of lignonanofibers in the recycling process was also studied. Because of the negative influence of this charge, a process of neutralization of the processed water was developed, obtaining values similar to those obtained with the use of tap water. In addition, an economic study was made concerning the application of lignonanofibers as a technology treatment in the recycling of cardboard in comparison with the conventional mechanical refining process. Subsequently, three different nanofibrillation treatments were compared: high pressure homogenizer, friction mill and double screw extruder, in order to reduce energy consumption in the production of lignonanofibers and make this technology competitive with the mechanical refining currently employed in the paper industry. Finally, the application of these lignonofibers in food packaging was explored. For this purpose, the effect that the waste of lignin contained in lignonanofibers exerts on the final properties of films produced from polyvinyl alcohol was analyzed. It was also studied the effect of the catalytic oxidation TEMPO on the advantages that the application of lignonanofibers presents, in relation to the use of nanofibers, on the mechanical properties, barrier and antioxidants of the films produced.

Most post-modern societies are being challenged by a widening gap that divides their populations by the classic cleavages of age, class, region and religion. Exacerbated by the forces of globalization and the immediacy of technology, they result in constant clashes that cause an exponential increase in social tensions and insecurity. Even if the Norwegian killer was insane and can not be used as example, he was still a member of the dominant culture failing to accommodate to post-modern circumstances. In the United States this gap is vividly evident in the current debt ceiling debate, which is only a symptom of much serious divisions that threaten the country's social unity and political future.A brief look at recent headlines in the United States can give outsiders and idea of the country's social and political environment.On Sunday July 24th, a new law approving gay marriage came into effect in New York, making it the sixth and largest state in the nation (plus the District of Columbia) to have legalized same-sex marriage. In Manhattan, people celebrated on Fifth Avenue, singing and dancing to the music and well-suited lyrics of New York, New York ("If we can make it here, we'll make it anywhere…"). On July 0th, Republican candidates Michelle Bachman and Rick Santoro a "Marriage Vow" swearing fidelity to their spouses, promising they would "vigorously oppose any redefinition of marriage" and would take steps to amend welfare legislation that did not reinforce conventional marriage. This is only a sample of the extreme polarization the country is facing both economically and socially. It is a critical moment in United States history, one that may require a deep reflection on the basic principles the nation was founded upon and a renewal of the social compact.Prodded by the Tea Party leaders, who presently wield an amount of power disproportionate to their numbers, Republican candidates have been signing pledges on an array of different topics in order to prove their conservative credentials. Both Michelle Bachman and Mitt Romney also signed a no-new-taxes pledge, together with a "cut, cap and balance pledge" to amend the Constitution to require a balanced budget and congressional super majorities to raise taxes. These two pledges, albeit non-enforceable and thus largely symbolic, are now the single most important obstacle to reach a deal in Congress about balancing the budget and avoiding default on the national debt. Tea Party Nation leader Judson Phillips has threatened to recruit candidates to mount primary challenges against any GOP member that votes for a compromise on the debt ceiling that involves any type of revenue increases to balance the budget. The GOP Congressional leadership has been hijacked by intransigent ideologues, represented in the House by 87 freshmen with disproportionate power over the more established professional politicians who understand that democratic governance requires give and take, and that politics in a pluralistic society is the art of the achievable.This country was founded on the premise of compromise, negotiation and cooperation, as it is evident from the history of the Constitution and the layers of governmental power devised mainly to counterbalance one another: states versus federal, legislative versus executive, Senate v. House, and an independent judiciary. It was clear even then, that solutions in what promised to be a huge, diverse society with deep regional and religious cleavages would require compromise. But today, in the "worst Congress ever" as Norman Ornstein calls it in his recent article in Foreign Policy, compromise is a bad word. The House is controlled by a GOP freshmen class that owes its seats to Tea Party ideologues and is refusing to raise the debt ceiling even as President Obama has agreed to cuts in spending that include cuts in entitlements, in exchange for ending subsidies on ethanol and other corporate subsidies (he has even given up on the expiration of the Bush era tax cuts he had included in his first proposal). This package that would represent over 3 trillion dollars in cuts from the federal budget, including reductions in Medicare and other social programs, would have allowed the debt ceiling to be raised so that the US could avoid defaulting on its debt by August 2nd. It was on the table last week and close to being signed on by House Speaker John Boehner but he refused it at the last minute because of pressure from his own caucus. The Tea Party is pushing professional legislators toward the abyss, and with them, the whole country. The Tea Party is a social movement that was born out of frustration and disappointment with government spending over the last twelve years. President George W. Bush inherited a budget surplus from the Clinton-Gingrich years. But that surplus quickly vanished as Bush proposed and got passed serious tax cuts on the wealthy and then embarked on two wars that are still going on today. In response, a large coalition of Independents, Republicans and a few former Democrats formed a protest movement that defines itself for what it is against: big government, big media, big banks, unsustainable deficits and intrusive federal regulation. In spite of some evident intrinsic contradictions in their philosophy (for example some the new regulations they so vehemently oppose such as the Dodd-Frank legislation are meant to constrain the actions of "big banks" they so strongly abhor), the Tea Party has been very successful in focusing the public's attention on the federal budget deficit and on the federal debt that has ballooned in the last two decades. Those are its core concerns, together with a deep-seated contempt for and rejection of, everything the well-educated elites are for the most in favor of: environmental sustainability, a foreign policy based on multilateralism, gay rights and immigration reform legislation that recognizes the realities of the estimated twelve million undocumented workers in the country. After two months of wrangling, neither side has managed to get what it wanted, the US credit rating is about to be downgraded (with the subsequent increase in interest rates and damaging effects on an already slow economy) and the vitriolic Washington environment is alienating people on the Right and on the Left. Pressured by the Tea Partiers and their anti-tax obsession, Republicans have refused to compromise to avoid a default, and in so doing they are sabotaging their own chances for 2012. Most Americans are appalled at the GOP's refusal to endorse Obama's proposal that would cut the deficit by $3.7 trillion through a mix of spending cuts, entitlement reform and ending some corporate subsidies and tax deductions. In so doing, the GOP is alienating independent voters that want to avoid default and are ready for a deal. A new political center of gravity is forming. The number of registered voters that identify themselves as Independent is growing (40% in latest poll), while the numbers of Republicans and Democrats are sinking and there is a new online movement from the grassroots to form a third party.Paradoxically, out of all this Byzantine intrigue in the hallways of Congress, and given the outcome of no deal announced on Monday night, President Obama may come out as the winner. To the dismay of his most progressive base, Obama, intent on finding some common ground with the opposition has shifted to the center-right of the political spectrum on his proposals, daring to sacrifice some cuts on entitlements in exchange for revenue increases, only to see them rejected by the Republicans. He is close to winning a stand-alone debt ceiling increase while having proven to be the only reasonable adult in this struggle. This would gain him the support of many independents and help him avoid a confrontation within his own party. It would also allow him to focus on unemployment, the real immediate crisis that most directly impacts people's lives. However, Democrats in the House and Senate are afraid that concessions on reducing some Medicare benefits, for example, or postponing the eligibility age, would ruin the clarity of their message to seniors during the election. Conversely, Tea Partiers see a compromise involving any sort of revenue increases by the government, even non-tax measures such as ending corporate subsidies, as a betrayal of their principles. The Tea Partiers have brought into focus the spending crisis that has been growing unchecked for a long time, and one the country cannot obviously tax its way out of. Some facts cannot be denied: debt is the result of spending not backed by revenue. Total government spending at all levels has risen to 37% of the GDP today from 27% in 1960. It could reach 50% by 2038. The debt-to-GDP ratio has reached 100% today, from 42% in 1980. The big moral struggle is still ahead. There is no question that the government is spending too much, but the real debate is about priorities and the philosophies that underlie those priorities. The President has recognized that the budget deficit is important to voters, most of which have come to the conclusion that since the stimulus spending did not solve the problem of unemployment, deficit reduction appears to be a better way to improve the economy than investing in education, infrastructure and new energy technologies. Obama must acknowledge this, and make it part of his discourse.But the President must also continue to make a case for the common good ("there are things we can still do together", he said in his last speech), the social safety net and America's future. He can do this by personalizing the budget battles the way Clinton did. Are budget battles about choices or necessities? Why give more tax cuts to the wealthy if their wealth has grown through the recession while the rest saw their wealth diminish? Why subsidize corporate agriculture and ethanol production? Social programs like Medicare serve all Americans, why focus on cutting it while giving a pass to the upper income- and- wealth echelon? General elections are won from the center. Strong strident advocates make for weak candidates. Undoubtedly, the 2012 election will be about money, about fiscal discipline, but it will also be about a more equal distribution, and it will require strong leadership from the two respective philosophical corners to come to a consensus. That is why the Republican establishment is so worried about the lack of gravitas in their field of candidates. That is why some yearn for budget whiz Paul Ryan, or Governor Chris Christie or Rick Perry….or anybody really, that looks and sounds as if he can take on Obama in the intricacies of the budget, the debt ceiling, and social programs reform. That may also be why Jeb Bush was asked on Fox News about his intentions to run for President again two days ago. This time his response was more nuanced: he said that while he doesn't anticipate it, he hasn't ruled it out ("but, he added, "I haven't ruled out being in Dancing with the Stars, either").In the meantime, the Wall Street Journal today announced that, based on the Pew Research Center tabulations of SIPP and Census date, the wealth gap between America's whites and its two largest minorities, Blacks and Hispanics, has widened to unprecedented levels due to the housing crisis and the Great Recession. Alan Greenspan, former President of the Federal Reserve has said repeatedly that the wealth gap that has grown consistently for the last decade is a threat not only to our country but to capitalism itself. Poverty and unemployment are a combustive mix: if fiscal responsibility ends up being based on the back of the poor, social conflict will erupt. It is unconscionable, for example, to think that hedge fund managers pay significantly less taxes than their secretaries.Some Republicans want to abolish every piece of social legislation and re-litigate every progressive judicial decision since the New Deal. As part of pledge game, Michelle Bachman and four other candidates also signed the "Susan B. Anthony pledge "promising to appoint abortion opponents to their cabinets and to deny all funding for Planned Parenthood when they become presidents. The bizarre "Marriage Vow "pledge signed by Bachmann and Santoro not only opposes same-sex marriage and includes a personal promise to be faithful to their spouses, but (most peculiarly yet redundantly) it also rejects Sharia Law (which, by the way, like Bachman, also opposes gay marriage and female adultery, which it punishes by death!)The only candidate that has refused to sign any pledge is Jon Huntsman, who understands the perils of siding too closely with the rebellious Tea Party. Even if some of its main points have successfully brought into focus the deficit issue, the Tea Party is still supported by a minority and resented by most Republicans. Its anti-technocratic, anti-Washington message has resonance, but it may have pushed the GOP too far into a corner. Its message is also becoming blurred when it steps into the social arena: its racist and homophobic overtones do not reflect the spirit of the times and are offensive to the "millenials", the youngest generation of voters born in the 80s and 90s, which Republicans still hope to attract in 2012. Social movements are major vehicles of participation and can re-energize a worn out party. They reflect the spirit of the times, often in an extremist way that is what gives them prominence: their passion for the cause, their original approach, are all important, but their message has to resonate with the public if they are to succeed. They emerge, coalesce, grow and achieve some successes. However, once their main point is made, three things can happen: they can become a party, their main ideas can be incorporated into mainstream politics, or they dissipate and be quickly forgotten. The Tea Party brought into focus the issue of fiscal responsibility, it infused conservatism with new energy and found a natural home in the Republican Party, which had become profligate, and will have to prove from now on that it is sincere about austerity. Its impact is undeniable: it has also attracted Independents and in so doing, has per force moved the Democratic Party to the center-right. Mimicking the "big tent" approach of Republicans, the Tea Party has lately been focusing strategically on fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets and its main groups have avoided divisive social issues when speaking to the general public. But their demands of ideological purity from their candidates, their emphasis on returning to the strict meaning of the Constitution and the values of the Founding Father, their defense of states rights and gun rights, belie their claims of inclusiveness for all Americans; in its coded language, its contempt for immigrants and its not-so- veiled racism, one senses a strongly reactionary sentiment bordering on uncontainable fanaticism which is completely out of step with most Americans and which will make it very difficult to widen its appeal beyond what it has already achieved.To paraphrase deceased Republican leader Barry Goldwater, the Tea Party's aim isnot to streamline government or make it more efficient, but to get rid of every piece of social legislation and economic regulation passed since the New Deal. Their purpose is not to share the burden of the weakest members of society, nor to educate their children so they can have equality of opportunity, but to defend the individual freedoms of those who can stand on their own. In sum, they are extremists for whom tolerance and moderation are vices, not virtues, and therefore they have no place in a democracy.Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science and Geography Director, ODU Model United Nations Program Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

The international business environment is still changing dramatically and, although international growth may introduce added complexity it may be unavoidable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) mainly due to the increasing globalization of markets (Levitt 1983) and industries (Yip 2003). In the face of rapid globalization, SMEs are a vital part of the economic systems of both emerging and developed countries. As Veloso (1991) points out, this type of companies may be an important organ for increasing the level of competitiveness of emerging markets. Some studies, for example, Yasuf (2001), go to the extent of suggesting that growth and employment in developing countries depend on the fate of SMEs. The incentive and the legal structures within which firms must operate have been drastically altered. SMEs are no longer protected from foreign competition and local buyers and suppliers are becoming more sophisticated. To compete effectively, SMEs must adapt and reshape themselves to facilitate adjustments and enhance learning for their growth and economic development. This article provides a typology to explain the degree of internationalization of SMEs. At one extreme is tangible internationalization, which is short-term and depends on macro and microeconomics factors exogenous to firms; at the other is a combination of tangible and intangible internationalization, which implies a strong commitment by firms to become competitive at international levels.I argue that different forces have forced the internationalization not only of firms, but also of markets, so that SMEs can become global without a physical presence in foreign markets. Furthermore, it may be necessary for these companies to become global if they are to remain competitive in their local markets. As a result of this paradigm shift, internationalization is based not only on geographical aspects, which are closely related to firm internationalization, but also on intangible considerations, which are closely related to market internationalization.Tangible internationalization is a restricted approach defined as a physical presence in a foreign market; it consists mainly of foreign sales, foreign direct investment (FDI), physical presence in foreign markets, and foreign suppliers. It fluctuates with exchange rates, costs of inputs, and other resource endowments that are tied to a particular geographic location. On the other hand, intangible internationalization implies a change in the comprehensive approach to the way firms should reconfigure, develop and secure resources. Intangible internationalization requires facilitating learning at all levels of a firm to increase the stock of knowledge, and, therefore, to improve flexibility on the production side and increase the likelihood of developing new resources and processes, thus enhancing the firm's critical invisible assets (Itami and Roehl 1987). An SME should aim for both in order to take advantage of a physical presence in foreign markets and provide constant incentives to facilitate learning and new organizational capabilities and processes. Tangible internationalization is a short-term expansion in foreign markets because it takes advantage of temporary macro- and microeconomics conditions; it does not require changes at the firm level. On the other hand, a combination of intangible and tangible internationalization has a higher probability to be sustainable in the long term and mostly depends on the firm's actions to meet international standards.This article emphasizes 5 crucial aspects of that managers need to be aware of: I. A matter of having an strategic plan II. An internal perspective of the firm III.The need of expanding the knowledge bases of SMEs IV.How to access and secure resources: networks V.The entrepreneurial aspectsI. A Matter of Having an Strategic PlanWhile firms have an important degree of freedom to make their own decisions, the effect of the environment cannot be discounted. This matter becomes critically important in the context of emerging economies because firms are not only facing changes in the structure of the industry in which they operate, but also in the surrounding and institutional environments. To be aware of the different courses of action available, decision makers must understand all the pro-market reforms, not just those that most affect their own industry. According to Weick (1995), the strategic decisions that managers make depend on their cognitive structures and how they make sense of the environment. Managers need to understand any intended change in a way that makes sense or fits an interpretative schema or system of meaning (Bartunek 1984). Andrews (1980) compares the role of the owner-manager to an architect who is in charge of doing the synthesis. Senior managers have the role of analyzing, interpreting, and making sense of clues so as to formulate and implement strategies. Senior managers should act as catalysts to understand and create new interpretative frameworks that provide purpose and direction to the members of the organization (Westley 1990).Laying a Formal Foundation: Making the Implicit Explicit The fact that SMEs have inadequate organizational structures and managerial expertise is a real problem in a changing environment. SMEs do not have the same level of support to increase their competitiveness, and given the lack of managerial expertise, building an adequate structure is not a straightforward process, even though it is a central one. Formalizing routines and processes within firms to make them less dependent on a specific individual is key. This is an important concern because SMEs not only have a less highly developed structure, but their fate is closely linked to one or a few individuals who posses knowledge or resources that have not been made explicit to the rest of the firm.Nevertheless, in a changing environment managers need to be proactive and to rethink their approaches regarding the future activities of their firms. A mere replication of previous strategies may no longer be a valid option when firms are competing in the international arena. The future can be imagined and enacted and that companies must be capable of fundamentally reconciling themselves by regenerating their core competencies and reinventing their industry. The role of managers is not to plan for the future, but to manage the process of learning and to be open to the possibility that new strategies can emerge.II. Analyzing the Firm's ResourcesAn analytical examination of the resources of a firm may help to develop an understanding not only of possible short-run business strategies, but also of future diversifications (Montgomery and Wernerfelt, 1988), growth strategies (Penrose, 1959), and sustainability of long-term rents (Rumelt, 1984). SMEs can compete in the international arena, but they will face international competition from foreign SMEs as well as from multinational enterprises (MNEs). Focusing only on product-market strategies is not enough; instead, the long-term survival of a firm depends on the characteristics and endowment of its resources, which should be valuable and difficult to imitate (Mahoney and Pandian 1992; Grant 1991; Amit and Schoemaker 1993). To be able to compete, the manager-owners of SMEs must know the internal resources and capabilities of their companies. As Andrews (1980: 18-19) suggested, a firm should make its strategic plans "preferably in a way that focuses resources to convert distinctive competence into competitive advantage."Firms are a bundle of different kinds of resources and a set of commitments to certain technologies, human resources, processes, and know-how that manager-owners marshal. This issue is particularly important to the present study because it is not unusual that are controlled, managed, and run by one or a small group of individuals that have a deep, but tacit, knowledge of the firm. What is important is a clear identification—not just a vague idea—of the different resources on which a firm can depend.How to Reconfigure a Firm's Resources? Capabilities exist when two or more resources are combined to achieve a goal and they "emphasizes the key role of strategic management in appropriately adapting, integrating and reconfiguring the internal and external organization skills, resources, and functional competences to match the requirements of changing environment" (Teece et al. 1997: 515). It is important to note that the relative endowment of firms may not necessarily relate to their financial performance because "only the service that the resource can render and not the resources themselves provide inputs into the production process" (Penrose 1972: 25). It is the deployment of a combination of those services that are critical to the rent generation of the firm. Firms need to exploit the existing firm-specific capabilities and also develop new ones (Penrose 1959; Teece 1982; Wernerfelt 1984) to compete internationally and to grow. Over time, SMEs have seen the nature of their rents change; we should expect a shift from Ricardian to Schumpeterian rents. A company may not have better resources, but achieve rents because it makes better use of its resources (Penrose 1959). Rents depend not only on the structure of the resources, but also on the ability of firms to reconfigure and transform those resources. The above discussion leads to the formation of the following hypotheses:III. The Need of Expanding the Knowledge Bases of SMEsThe capacity to exploit a new set of opportunities depends partly on the strategic decisions made by managers. In some cases, these opportunities require at least a reconfiguration of the activities of the firm, but more often, they require the incorporation of new resources and, especially, the introduction of new processes.Firms are as systems of purposeful actions engaging in economic activities to achieve objectives, therefore, they must learn adapt and survive in a complex environment. Organizational learning is the process by which firms can cope with uncertainty and environmental complexity, and their efficiency depends on learning how the environment is changing and then adapting to those changes (March and Olsen, 1976).SMEs need to enhance their learning in two different aspects. First, internal knowledge should be coded and made available to selected members in the company. The manager-owner is knowledgeable about almost all aspects of the business (Mintzberg 1979), and his or her knowledge is personal in the sense that it is located in the mind and not always encoded or available to the rest of the firm. Routines should be created in order to secure the long-term existence of the firm because routines capture the experiential lessons and make that knowledge obtainable by the members of the organization that were not part of the history of the company (Levitt and March 1988).The second way SMEs need to enhance their learning is to make changes in their knowledge base. When socio-economic environments change, firms need to assess the change in order to reformulate how they react to new incentives. The first step is developing a capability to understand the new dynamics. When regulatory and competitive conditions change rapidly, persistence in the same routines can be hazardous because managers and employees use organizational memory or knowledge to make decisions and to formulate the present strategy of the firm.The effectiveness of decisions taken by an SME is greatly influenced by its knowledge base which, in turn, is the result of learning processes that are no longer applicable and may be misleading. Changes in the knowledge base are probably requisite for any firms competing in an industry with tradable products. Supporting infrastructure and routines may prove essential to increase the learning pace and to effectively integrate the new knowledge and reduce the inertia due to outdated knowledge.IV. How to Access and Secure Resources: NetworksSMEs, compared to larger firms, face major challenges in terms of securing and updating resources. Where internal resources are important to accounting for a firm's performance (Gnyawali and Madhavan, 2001), resources also can be secured within networks that may allow firms to be competitive locally and internationally. Increasingly, networking is seen as a primarily means of rising required resources. Resources, such as information, equipment, and personnel, can be exchanged in networks because of relationships between. Networks are important instruments to ease the constraints facing SMEs in terms of access to: a) capital markets to obtain long-term finance both locally and internationally, b) narrow and highly regulated labor markets, c) information and technologies, d) inefficient tax codes, and e) highly bureaucratic and expansive legal procedures. SMEs may be part of a network not only because it may find complementary resources, but also because owners and managers may have friendship ties with other owners and mangers. These non-economic reasons may be as important as economic ones.A Particular Kind of Network: Industry Clusters An extensive literature exists on the topic of industry clusters. Ricardo's "comparative advantages" can be considered as a pioneering concept of industrial clusters; and Marshall's exposition about externalities is based on industrial localization. Industrial clusters are characterized by having extensive interfirm exchanges and an advantageous environment to pursue business activities. Marshall (1961) argues that industry localization may be an important factor because a) it creates a market for workers with certain industry-specific skills, b) it promotes production and exchange of non-tradable specialized input, and c) firms may take advantage of informational spillovers. Krugman (1991) points out that given the existence of market imperfection, pecuniary externalities may also play an important role in determining the concentration of industry in a specific geographic location. Pouder and St. John (1996) argue that clustered firms have a greater legitimacy than firms outside a cluster. Clusters can provide a critical mass to counterbalance the political influence of large firms and to increase the pressure for investments that affect the productivity of the cluster. Furthermore, competition within clusters increases productivity and new firm development (Porter 1998).V. The Entrepreneurial AspectsIntangible internationalization requires facilitating learning by its employees in order to constantly transform the firm. Implementing mechanisms to expand the knowledge base and to diffuse information should allow SMEs to increase their capacity to develop new goods and services, and to compete in new markets. Key characteristics of this type of internationalization are common interests, trust and openness that allow employees to challenge assumptions. Intangible internationalization is a more difficult international expansion, but it provides sustainable competitive advantages. Consequently, SMEs would become competitive by reducing their costs, introducing new products and expanding their potential markets.It is not possible to engage in tangible internationalization without having a minimum level of intangible internationalization or being competitive without some degree of valuable, rare, in-imitable, non-substitutable resources (Barney 1991). SMEs should aim for both types of internalization in order to take advantage of physical presence in foreign markets and constantly provide the incentives to facilitate learning, new organizational capabilities and processes.Firms have different combinations of internationalization. In order to analyze how SMEs can take advantage of both tangible and intangible internationalization, the foundation of the potential competitive advantages need to be identified. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how firms deliver products that have value for customers, but also to understand what makes these firms different from the rest (Hall 1998). I argue that there are three major categories of differential that have a strong impact on the nature of internationalization of SMEs. The first is called firm differential, and includes a) organizational (team level), b) managerial (individual level), c) physical endowment and d) technological capabilities differentials. The second category is based on the home country characteristics and it is called country differential. The final category,market differential, takes into consideration the specific features of local markets and industries. These differentials deeply influence the role of owner-manager. There are three basic approaches that a SME can adopt while anticipating and responding to the needs of its customers. The first one is the approach of the Schumpeterian entrepreneur (Schumpeter, 1934), a leader who breaks away from routine and introduces either new goods/services or new production processes for existing goods/services. The second one is related to Porter's (1980) concept of cost leadership even though Porter studied larger firms from developed countries. The last style of owner-manager is the Kirznerian entrepreneur, who is a person alert to opportunities (see figure 1). This type of role implies that the owner-manager acts as a broker in order to take advantage of over-optimistic or over-pessimistic reactions of economic agents (Kirzner 1973); therefore, the owner-manager will act "in regard to the changes occurring in the data of the markets" (Mises 1949: 255).ConclusionIn the business literature, internationalization involvement usually results from one of two factors: a) the firm possesses some monopolistic advantage that it can use in another country, or b) the host country owns resources that are valuable to the foreign firm. While these reasons may be necessary and sufficient conditions for larger companies, is not necessarily the case for SMEs whom have no option but to internationalization.Those two factors do not necessarily apply to SMEs because they need to become international even if they do not compete in international markets. The average level of competitiveness of SMEs is below that of multinational enterprises. SMEs are faced with international competition whether they decide to internationalize or to remain "local." Even SMEs providing non-tradable goods face a "demand side" pressure to meet the characteristic of similar product sell in other countries. SMEs may not have the time required, according to this model, to meet world-class standards. ReferencesAmit, R. and Schoemaker, P. (1993). "Strategic assets and organizational rent". Strategic Management Journal,14(1):33-46. Andrews, K. (1980). The concept of corporate strategy. Homewood, Irwin. Barney, J. (1991). ¨Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage.¨ Journal of Management, 17(1): 99-120. Bartunek, J. (1984). "Changing interpretative schemes and organizational restructuring: the example of a religion order." Administrative Science Quarterly, 29(3):355-372. Child, J. (1972). "Organizational structure, environment and performance: the role of strategic choice". Sociology,6(1):1-22. Gnyawali, D. and Madhavan, R. (2001). "Cooperative networks and competitive dynamics: A structural embeddedness perspective." Academy of Management Review, 26(3):431-445. Grant, R. (1991). Contemporary Strategic Analysis: Concepts, Techniques, Application. Basil Blackwell, Cambridge, MA. Itami, H. and Roehl, T. (1987). "Mobilizing Invisible Assets". Harvard Business School Press. Kirzner, I. (1973). "Competition and entrepreneurship". University of Chicago Press, Krugman, P. (1991). "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography." The Journal of Political Economy, 99(3):483-499. Levitt, T. (1983). The globalization of markets. Harvard Business Review, 61(May-June): 92-102. Levitt, B. and March, J. (1988)."Organizational Learning." Annual Review of Sociology, (14):319-340. Mahoney, J. and Pandian, R. (1992). "The Resource-Based View Within the Conversation of Strategic Management." Strategic Management Journal, 13(5):363-380 . March, J. and Olsen, J.(1976). Ambiguity and choice in organizations. Bergen: Universitetsforlaget. Marshall, A., (1961 (1890)). Principles of Economics. London: Macmillan. Mintzberg, H. (1979). The structuring of organizations: a synthesis of the article. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Mises, L. (1949). "Human action; a treatise on economics". Yale University Press. Montgomery, C. and Wernerfelt, B. (1988). "Diversification, Ricardian Rents, and Tobin's q". RAND Journal of Economics, 19(4):623-632. Penrose, E. (1959). The theory of the Growth of the Firm. John Wiley: New York. Penrose, E. (1972). The theory of the Growth of the Firm. Originally published in 1959, Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Porter, M. (1998). On Competition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Porter, M. (1990). The competitive advantage of nations. Free Press: New York. Pouder, R. and St. John, C. (1996). "Hot Spots and Blind Spots: Geographical Clusters of Firms and Innovation."The Academy of Management Review, 21(4):1192-1225. Rumelt, R. (1991). "How much does Industry Matter?" Strategic Management Journal, 12(3):167-185. Schumpeter, J. (1934). The Theory of Economic Development. Harvard University Press. Teece, D. Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997). "Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management." Strategic Management Journal, 18(7):509-533. Teece, D (1982). "Toward an economic theory of the multiproduct firm". Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 3:39-63. Veloso, P. (1991). "International Competitiveness and the creation of an enabling environment." International competitiveness, ed. By Irfan ul Haque, pp. 29-36. Washington, DC: Economic Development Institute of the World Bank. Weick, K. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Wernerfelt, B. (1984). ¨A resource based view of the firm.¨ Strategic Management Journal, 5(2):171-180. Westley, F. 1990. "Middle Managers and Strategy: Microdynamics of Inclusion." Strategic Management Journal,11(5): 337-351. Yasuf, S. (2001). "Globalization and the Challenge for Developing Countries." Policy ArticleWorking Paper 2618, the World Bank Yip, G. (2003). Total Global Strategy II. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.Sobre el autorCoordinador Académico de Finanzas FACS, Universidad ORT Uruguay