The forestry and cellulose sector in the Province of Concepción, Chile: Production linkages between the Secano Interior and industry in Greater Concepción, or an enclave economy?

This article deals with the interaction between supply chains and territory, identifying two types of development: the "enclave" type of the rain-fed farming economy in the inland area known as the Secano Interior, and the "potential linkage" between this enclave and the greater metropolitan area of Concepción. The benefits of the forestry and cellulose supply chain, which is of global importance, are not spreading through its territory, which remains underdeveloped. Greater Concepción, the country's second most important industrial conurbation, has not succeeded in establishing a positive connection with its hinterland via its economic networks or with the forestry and cellulose chain of the Secano Interior. This article is based on economic flow data from the 2008 input-output matrix, on surveys carried out as part of a National Fund for Regional Development project (fndr, 2008) and on studies of Chile and its development types (Falabella, 2000 and 2002). It argues for a need to create a territorial political platform for economic development to facilitate the restoration of production linkages.