Rural Development and Territorial Dynamics in the Province of Misiones, Argentina Nardi, Andrea 2011 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Nardi, A. (2011). Rural Development and Territorial Dynamics in the Province of Misiones, Argentina. [Doctoral Thesis (monograph), Department of Human Geography]. Lund University. 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LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 Download date: 26. Feb. 2023 Meddelanden från Lunds universitets geografiska institution Avhandlingar 191 RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND TERRITORIAL DYNAMICS IN THE PROVINCE OF MISIONES, ARGENTINA María Andrea Nardi © 2011 María Andrea Nardi ISSN: 0346-6787 ISBN: 978-91-979006-1-4 Cover design: Fernando Nardi Printed in Sweden by Mediatryck, Lund 2011 ii Contents List of acronyms ...................................................................................................................... vii Presentation and acknowledgments ........................................................................................ x Chapter I – Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 Conflicting geographies ........................................................................................................ 1 Aim and objective of the study ............................................................................................. 9 Research questions and theoretical perspective ................................................................ 10 Outline of the thesis ............................................................................................................ 11 Chapter II – Theoretical framework ........................................................................................ 13 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 13 Theoretical context of analysis ........................................................................................... 16 Rural development paradigms and alternative development(s) in Latin America .............. 19 Rural Development ‘paradigms’ in Latin America ........................................................... 20 Post-(neo)liberalism, post-development or alternative (rural) development(s)? ............. 26 Rural development in Argentina and the province of Misiones .......................................... 35 Territory, (rural) development and linking concepts ........................................................... 38 Discussing territory and territoriality ............................................................................... 39 Territory and development .............................................................................................. 43 Territorial dynamics, arena and other guiding concepts of analysis ............................... 48 Chapter III – Methodology ...................................................................................................... 54 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 54 Methodology and research strategy ................................................................................... 55 (Multi) case study ........................................................................................................... 56 Selection and location of the sites of study .................................................................... 57 Time frame of the analysis ............................................................................................. 60 Objects, units and categories of analysis ....................................................................... 61 Multiple methods and collection of information .................................................................. 62 Primary and secondary information ................................................................................ 62 Access to information and informants ............................................................................ 63 Fieldwork sites ................................................................................................................ 65 Data construction ............................................................................................................... 66 Typology of actors .......................................................................................................... 67 Data analysis and interpretation ......................................................................................... 70 Chapter IV – Geographical and historical context of analysis ................................................ 73 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 73 Geographical context of analysis ....................................................................................... 74 Environmental context ........................................................................................................ 78 Historical processes of land occupation and spatial organization ...................................... 80 Occupation and use of land ............................................................................................ 82 Recent territorial transformations and dynamics in the countryside ............................... 87 The relevance of the agriculture sector .............................................................................. 89 Family agriculture in Misiones and selected municipalities ............................................ 92 Production structure and systems .................................................................................. 95 iii Poverty in rural areas ......................................................................................................... 97 Illegal land occupation or ‘land squatting’ ....................................................................... 98 Main concerns in the family agriculture sector ............................................................... 99 Family agriculture sector and its institutionality ................................................................ 101 Public agencies and nongovernmental organizations .................................................. 101 Farmers’ organizations ................................................................................................. 104 Chapter V – Understandings of development in Misiones ................................................... 106 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 106 Agriculture, forestry or native forest conservation? .......................................................... 109 Who promotes what, where and why? Conflicts about “development” ......................... 111 Actors’ perceptions on natural resources (land and native forest) ................................... 121 Land ............................................................................................................................. 123 Native forest and timber ............................................................................................... 128 The role of state and market in development ................................................................... 132 Some reflections ............................................................................................................... 138 Chapter VI – The rural development arena in the selected municipalities ........................... 141 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 141 Actors involved: their strategies and ideas of rural development ..................................... 141 Public agencies and rural development programmes .................................................. 142 Nongovernmental organizations and social organizations ........................................... 145 Farmers’ organizations ................................................................................................. 149 Other actors in the territory ........................................................................................... 154 Family agriculture and the state: actors in cooperation / confrontation ............................ 155 The rural development arena in Aristóbulo del Valle and San Pedro ............................... 162 Some reflections ............................................................................................................... 167 Chapter VII – Agroecology, seed fairs and local markets .................................................... 168 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 168 The agroecology perspective in Misiones ........................................................................ 169 Agroecology from the actors’ perspective ........................................................................ 173 Public agencies and rural development programmes .................................................. 175 Nongovernmental organizations and social organizations ........................................... 178 Farmer’s organizations ................................................................................................. 181 Other actors in the territory ........................................................................................... 183 Collective spaces of agroecology: the seed fairs ............................................................. 184 The construction of farmers’ local markets (ferias francas) .............................................. 190 Constraints to advance an ecological agriculture in Misiones .......................................... 194 Chapter VIII: Concluding remarks ........................................................................................ 200 Alternative rural development and the construction of territories ..................................... 200 Contributions to theory and policy making ....................................................................... 209 Further research ............................................................................................................... 213 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 216 Appendix 1 – Interview guides ............................................................................................. 236 Appendix 2 – Informants interviewed and observations during fieldwork ............................. 243 iv Appendix 3 – Maps ............................................................................................................... 247 Appendix 4 – Illustrations ..................................................................................................... 248 Appendix 5 – Actors in the rural development arena ........................................................... 254 Appendix 6 – Land squatting and distribution ...................................................................... 268 Index of maps Map 1: South America. Localization of Argentina in South America ...................................... 59 Map 2: Argentina. Localization of the province of Misiones in Argentina ............................... 60 Map 3: Province of Misiones (Arg.). Location of selected municipalities ................................ 60 Map 4: Province of Misiones (Arg.). Municipalities of Aristóbulo del Valle and San Pedro. Main roads and localities ........................................................................................................ 77 Map 5: Province of Misiones, Argentina. Satellite image, 2008 ............................................. 78 Map 6: Municipality of Aristóbulo del Valle, Misiones (Argentina). Land parcelling. 2007 ..... 95 Map 7: Municipality of San Pedro, Misiones (Argentina). Land parcelling. 2007 ................... 95 Map 8: Municipality of Aristóbulo del Valle (Misiones, Argentina). Areas of nature conservation ......................................................................................................................... 247 Map 9: Municipality of San Pedro (Misiones, Argentina). Areas of nature conservation ...... 247 Index of tables Table 1: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Actors and the activities they promote for rural development, where and the arguments to support them. 2003-2009 ................................. 112 Table 2: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Actors’ perceptions on land and forest ............. 122 Table 3: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Selected municipalities. Public agencies and rural development programmes. Selected characteristics ............................................................ 144 Table 4: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Selected municipalities. NGOs and other social organizations. Selected characteristics ................................................................................ 148 Table 5: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Selected municipalities. Farmers’ organizations. Selected characteristics ....................................................................................................... 153 Table 6: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Selected municipalities. Companies, native communities and environmental public agencies and NGOs. Selected characteristics ....... 155 v Index of graphics Graphic 1: Municipality of Aristóbulo del Valle, Misiones (Argentina): conflict and cooperation in rural development strategies ............................................................................................ 108 Graphic 2: Municipality of San Pedro, Misiones (Argentina): conflict and cooperation in rural development strategies ........................................................................................................ 108  Index of illustrations Illustration 1: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Discourses on family agriculture and (alternative) rural development ............................................................................................. 248 Illustration 2: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Discourses on agro-industrial modernization in the family agriculture sector .............................................................................................. 249 Illustration 3: Strategies and concrete practices in rural development in Misiones (Argentina) from an agroecological perspective ...................................................................................... 250 Illustration 4: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Municipality of San Pedro. Spaces of commercialization: the local farmers’ markets. 2007-2009 .................................................. 251 Illustration 5. Province of Misiones (Argentina). Municipality of Aristóbulo del Valle. Spaces of commercialization: the farmers’ local markets. 2007-2009 .................................................. 252 Illustration 6: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Depicting agriculture / forestry, rural development and rural poverty and wealth .......................................................................... 253 Illustration 7: Province of Misiones (Argentina). Public publicity from the Ministry of Ecology ............................................................................................................................................. 253 vi List of acronyms AER: Agencia de Extensión Rural, INTA [Agency for Rural Extension] AFFM: Asociación Ferias Francas de Misiones [Association of Farmers’ Markets of Misiones] AMIRBY: Área de Manejo Integrado de la Reserva de Biósfera Yabotí [Department of Integrated Management of the Yabotí Reserve of Biosphere] APAM: Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios de Misiones [Association of Agriculture Producers of Misiones] APHyDAL: Asociación para la Promoción Humana y el Desarrollo Local [Association for the Human Promotion and Local Development] APTM: Asociación de Plantadores de Tabaco de Misiones [Association of Tobacco Growers of Misiones] ARYA: Asociación Rural Yerbatera Argentina [Argentinean Rural Association of Yerba] CAFICLA: Cooperativa Agrícola, Forestal, de Industria y Comercio Limitada de Aristóbulo del Valle [Cooperative of Agriculture, Forestry, Industry and Commercialization of Aristóbulo del Valle] CCT: Comisión Central de Tierras [Central Commission of Land] CCTA: Comunidades Campesinas por el Trabajo Agrario [Peasant Communities for Agrarian Work] CLACSO: Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales [Latin American Council of Social Sciences] COSPE: Cooperazione per lo Sviluppo dei Paesi Emergenti [Co-operation for the Development of Emerging Countries] CTM Ltda.: Cooperativa Tabacalera de Misiones Ltda. [Tobacco Cooperative of Misiones] CTM: Cámara del Tabaco de Misiones [Chamber of Tobacco of Misiones] DDR: Dirección de Desarrollo Rural [Department of Rural Development] EAP: Explotación Agropecuaria [Units of Agriculture Production] ECLAC: Economic Commission for Latin America (CEPAL: Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe in Spanish) EFA: Escuela de la Familia Agrícola [Family Farmers’ School] EMiPA: Equipo Misiones de Pastoral Aborigen [Misiones Group of Natives’ Pastoral] ETDR: Enfoque Territorial del Desarrollo Rural [Territorial Approach to Rural Development] vii FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEDECOOP: Federación de Cooperativas Agrícolas de Misiones [Federation of Cooperatives of Misiones] FET: Fondo Especial del Tabaco [Tobacco Special Fund] GDP: Gross Domestic Product IADB: Inter-American Development Bank IEA: Instituto de Enseñanza Agrícola [Institute of Agriculture Education] IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAI: Instituto de Fomento Agropecuario e Industrial de la provincia de Misiones [Institute of Agriculture and Industrial Promotion of the province of Misiones] IICA: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture INAI: Instituto Nacional de Asuntos Indígenas [National Institute of Native Communities Affairs] INASE: Instituto Nacional de Semillas [National Institute of Seeds] INDEC: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos [National Institute of Statistics and Census] INDES: Instituto de Desarrollo Social y Promoción Humana [Institute of Social Development and Human Promotion] INTA: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria [National Institute of Agriculture Technology] INYM: Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate [National Institute of Yerba Mate] ISCOS: Instituto Sindicale per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo [The Trade Unions Institute for Development Co-operation] MAM: Movimiento Agrario Misionero [Misiones Agrarian Movement] MAyP: Ministerio del Agro y la Producción del gobierno de la provincia de Misiones [Ministry of Agriculture and Production] MDS: Ministerio de Desarrollo Social [Ministry of Social Development] MERNyT: Ministerio de Ecología, Recursos Naturales y Turismo del Gobierno de la Provincia de Misiones [Ministry of Ecology, Natural Resources and Tourism] MIPE: Manejo Integrado de Plagas y Enfermedades [Integrated Pest and Disease Managment] MISEREOR: The German Catholic Bishops' Organisation for Development Cooperation NBI: Necesidades Básicas Insatisfechas [Unsatisfied Basic Needs] NGO: Nongovernmental Organization viii ODHAT: Organización para el Desarrollo Humano, Ambiental y Tecnológico [Organization for Human, Environmental and Technological Development] OIT: Oficina de Información Técnica del INTA [INTA Office of Technical Information] OPFAL: Organización de Productores Familiares Agroecológicos Local [Agroecological Smallholder Producers Local Organization] OSAL: Observatorio Social de América Latina [Social Observatory of Latin America] PNTD: Participatory and Negotiated Territorial Development PPNEA: Programa de Crédito y Apoyo Técnico para Pequeños Productores Agropecuarios del Nordeste Argentino [Programme of Credit and Technical Support for Small Agriculture Producers of North Argentina] PRODERNEA: Proyecto de Desarrollo Rural de las Provincias del Noroeste Argentino [Project of Rural Development in North-eastern Provinces of Argentina] PROFAM: Programa de Fortalecimiento para Productores Familiares [Program to Strengthen Family Farmers] PROFEDER: Programa Federal de Apoyo al Desarrollo Rural Sustentable [Federal Program of Assistance for Sustainable Rural Development] PROINDER: Proyecto de Desarrollo para Pequeños Productores Agropecuarios [Project of Development for Small Agriculture Holders] PSA: Programa Social Agropecuario [Agricultural Social Program] RAOM: Red de Agricultura Orgánica de Misiones [Network of Organic Agriculture of Misiones] RDP: Rural Development Programme SAGPyA: Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentos de la Nación, República Argentina [Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Government of the Republic of Argentina] SENASA: Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria [National Service of Sanity and Quality of Agriculture Food] TRD: Territorial Rural Development [Desarrollo Territorial Rural, DTR] UNaM: Universidad Nacional de Misiones [University of Misiones] UNEFAM: Unión de Escuelas de la Familia Agrícola [Union of the Family Farmers’ School] UTCP: Unidad Técnica de Coordinación Provincial [Provincial Unit of Coordination] UTTERMI: Unión de Trabajadores Técnicos Rurales de Misiones [Union of Rural Technicians Workers of Misiones] ix