Deregulated Infrastructures of Extraction in Rainforest Frontiers
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: School of Arts
Abstract
Drawing on empirical data collected in the rainforests of Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, the project offers a comparative study of what are
referred to here as incursion economies - land grabbing, illegal logging, and prospector mining - that take place below the radar. In
so doing, INFRACURSIONS forges a novel approach to 'incursion infrastructures' that explores the clandestine economic activities that
invade the global margins and invariably result in environmental degradation. Not only is this research timely and urgent in its focus
but will be the first large-scale study of its kind to bring together various deregulated extractive activities investigated as an
integrative transboundary phenomenon. It also reconfigures anthropological approaches to social and moral norms in contexts of
environmental destruction in the Global South and beyond.
The project asks:
1. What historical factors have led to incursions and what are the environmental impacts?
2. What are the motivations and experiences that underpin incursion economies?
3. What social and technical arrangements facilitate the existence of incursions?
4. How do incursion economies intersect?
INFRACURSIONS answers these questions through a ground-breaking heuristic of fluid infrastructure; an actor-centred methodology;
partnership between the fields of anthropology, environmental science, and social policy; the development of an Incursion
Economies Research Cluster; an open access data dashboard/repository; and regular analysis labs.
referred to here as incursion economies - land grabbing, illegal logging, and prospector mining - that take place below the radar. In
so doing, INFRACURSIONS forges a novel approach to 'incursion infrastructures' that explores the clandestine economic activities that
invade the global margins and invariably result in environmental degradation. Not only is this research timely and urgent in its focus
but will be the first large-scale study of its kind to bring together various deregulated extractive activities investigated as an
integrative transboundary phenomenon. It also reconfigures anthropological approaches to social and moral norms in contexts of
environmental destruction in the Global South and beyond.
The project asks:
1. What historical factors have led to incursions and what are the environmental impacts?
2. What are the motivations and experiences that underpin incursion economies?
3. What social and technical arrangements facilitate the existence of incursions?
4. How do incursion economies intersect?
INFRACURSIONS answers these questions through a ground-breaking heuristic of fluid infrastructure; an actor-centred methodology;
partnership between the fields of anthropology, environmental science, and social policy; the development of an Incursion
Economies Research Cluster; an open access data dashboard/repository; and regular analysis labs.
| Description | Team Policy Training |
| Geographic Reach | South America |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | UK-Brazil global talent exchange scheme |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | APP52173 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Title | Toolkit for Risky but Urgent Research |
| Description | We have developed a comprehensive toolkit for Ricky but Urgent Research to provide resources for others researchers undertaking fieldwork in complex or dangerous contexts. This includes check lists and forms, compiled information and literature review on risk research a well as a customised risk assessment document and emergency response protocols for fieldwork. This will form part of a pubic toolkit which will be published on our web site. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We are in the final phases of preparing the materials but we expect to share widely as part of a project event. |
| Description | Partnership with UFAC, Brazil |
| Organisation | Federal University of Acre |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I have developed a partnership with Dr Sabina Ribeiro at UFAC, Brazil as an intersection between her work and the Infracursions Project. The collaboration developed into a grant proposal that addresses questions of land grabbing and water scarcity, which drew on her expertise in land management and my expertise in ethnographic research. We also work with a hydrologist at UoB (Rodolfo Nobrega) with whom we designed a pilot project top explore the relationship between land use and water scarcity. For this project my geospatial data scientist postdoc on the Infracursions Project has provided her expertise in developing a map of water availability in Acre, Brazil. We have also provided access to our policy research database in relation to land grabbing and land use, and I will provide my expertise in ethnographic/social science methodology. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr Sabina Ribeiro at UFAC is managing the project in Acre, helping the team to establish research contexts, hiring local researchers and developing collaborations with local organisations. She is also offering her time and expertise. |
| Impact | A funding application with the British Academy, which will be listed in the relevant section. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Interactive web site |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The web platform (under development) will include most of the project outputs designed to reach third sector organisations, policy makers, other researchers and the general public. We are currently developing an interactive map, open source database of environmental policy in South America, various videos (current one with over 100 views in first 2 weeks), graphic documents in 3 languages, and several other resources such as reports and research toolkits (currently developing a "Toolkit for Risky but Urgent Research") - all to be actively used by others. The current web site is an interim website while the prototyping and development of a permanent website is taking place. The aims of the site are to communicate in English, Spanish and Portuguese information on the project objectives, news, and outputs, and to facilitate connections with interested parties and potential collaborators. We've received an expression of interest for a potential collaboration / research opportunity via the website. We've had over 300 visitors to the website since October 2024. The majority of views were located in the UK, followed by the US, Brazil and 13 other countries, including Bolivia and Peru. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://infracursions.org |
| Description | Invited research seminar presentations (Dr Penfield and Dr Valdivieso) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Dr Valdivieso was invited to present research findings at the BAARS Research Seminar at Bristol (March 2025) and Dr Penfield will present at CAS-E (University of Erlangen, Germany) in June 2025. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Podcast on Interdisciplinarity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PI Dr Penfield participated in a podcast for the Global Development Institute with colleague Filipe França about interdisciplinary and stakeholder engagement which has been shared widely across various platforms. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.buzzsprout.com/2017560/episodes/16689470-interdisciplinary-approaches-to-conservation-am... |
| Description | Research Advisory Board |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The project has set up an advisory board of of international academics and NGO representatives to meet regularly and provide feedback, expertise and advice on various aspects of the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://infracursions.org |
| Description | User Research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | As part of our dissemination and output strategy, we have undertaken user research with NGOs based in South America to understand their perspectives and needs. This is an ongoing strategy involving in-person workshops for website design, assessment of target audiences and usability of research outcomes. This has resulted in a range of outputs such as developing a network of collaborators (one of whom became a member of our advisory board), conversations with NGO professionals in South America, user experience survey data, qualitative data on the co-designing of research outputs and usability of research outputs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Workshop on "Re-envisioning Amazonia" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In October 2024 I organised a workshop with a colleague in UCSB to bring together various scholars of Amazonia (from the USA, UK, Finland, and Colombia) to discuss the future of Amazonian scholarship. We aimed to focus on new horizons in research with the view to developing an Annual Review publication and future funding bids. As part of this, we also collected and compiled quantitative data on journal themes across range of journals in relation to Amazonia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |