Estudios Rurales

Celebrating the countryside in the '90s: agricultural change in the Provincial Wheat Festival (Tres Arroyos)

Silvana Villanueva — 2024-12-26

In the last decade of the 20th century, the results of the great changes that had been taking place in the Buenos Aires agrarian structure since previous decades converged with the deepening of structural reforms that completely affected the actions of the State. The debt crisis, the structural reforms and their application, and the future of agriculture were not alien to the physiognomy acquired by the celebrations linked to local economic production that arose in the province of Buenos Aires around the middle of the 20th century. In this work we will focus on one of these festivals that emerged in the south of the province in 1970 in the Tres Arroyos district: the Provincial Wheat Festival (1970). The two pillars (the agricultural sector and the State) on which this celebration had been built adopted a different configuration during this period. How did this affect the celebration? Can the tensions aroused by these changes be observed in festive season? In this approach, we will try to answer these questions, giving an account of the characteristics that the Buenos Aires celebration of wheat assumed in the nineties from the analysis of its celebration programs, the records of the periodical press and the analysis of the speeches of the authorities present at the celebration.

Technological prospection of mechanisms developed for a sugar cane harvester

Douglas Prescilio do Nascimento — 2024-12-26

Brazil is the largest world producer (~18%) and exporter of sugarcane with 36% of representativity in the global market. Besides that, it is the second biggest ethanol producer. This research aimed to perform an updated technological mapping of patent registration related to innovations in sugarcane harvesters and their components. Data collection was taken place through Orbit Questel, using the terms (Sugar and cane and harvester) and (Sugar or cane and harvester) associated with the International Classification of Patents A01D45/10. There is a gap in the mapping of development in sugarcane harvesters, mainly on indicators and information obtained from patent documents. The last analysis carried out refers to the period between 1963 and 2009.The study identified 2135 patent families deposited between 2010 and 2022. The research revealed that Brazil was the second country to register the most patents in this sector during this period. Brazil had 288 family patents registered, showing that the country is a target market for innovation and technological protection related to sugarcane harvesters. The main assignees are multinational companies that configure the vanguard of technological development in 4.0 agriculture, in which there are innovations linked not only to the components destined to enhance the operational performance but also to manage and control the process.

After me, the deluge

Lucas Gama Lima — 2024-12-26

Under capitalism, the seeds were transformed into commodities with value and use-value. This seed metamorphosis was identified by Marx, who pointed out that the germplasms would tend to enter the production process and be regularly commercialized. The Marxian prediction could be notably confirmed in the 20th century, with the dissemination of seeds sold by companies and the strong advertising appeal for its introduction in agriculture. The hybridization technique allowed business corporations to interfere in the seed variety behaviour, obtaining a decreasing agricultural income. Decades later, new interventions occurred, such as seed transgenesis and the gene editing, which are alterations in the genes to imprint characteristics that are unrelated to their germplasm. Hybridization and, above all, the genetically modified organisms are evidence of the real subsumption of nature to capital, keeping a close connection with the corporations' attempts to control the genetic codes of natural goods of planet. It is a situation which undoubtedly deepens the rift metabolic between the human and nature relation. This article analyses the commodity seed issue, identifying the main contradictions inherent in the capitalist control over a living organism, precious to (re)production of human life. The assumption is that the seed genetic manipulations are one of the pillars of the ongoing ecological crisis. Part of publications by Marx and other authors influenced by him solidify the theoretical basis of this reflection. We hope this text contributes to the necessary critique to the capitalist deluge which threatens us.

Conocimientos ecológicos tradicionales y consumo de alimentos: sociobiodiversidad en la reserva extractiva Tapajós-Arapiuns, Amazonia brasileña

Ellen Priscila Farias de Freitas — 2024-12-26

In this text, we discuss the intergenerational transmission process of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) regarding the consumption of socio-biodiversity products by families in a rural community located in the
Brazilian Amazon. The theoretical-methodological framework relies on the categories of traditional populations and intergenerational transmission of knowledge, and the
analytical categories of socio-biodiversity and dietary habits.
The results highlight the relationship of families with the forest and backyards as significant activities in the community's configuration and the social reproduction of families. Despite the context of change, the consumption of forest species derived from extractivism or cultivated in
backyards remains as the principal means of communication of
TEK about biodiversity used in food, which favors the reproduction of biocultural memory.

Environmental, socioeconomic and technological impacts of family-based viticulture in a hot climate region in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Cássio Vinícius de Souza — 2024-12-26

Assessing the impact of agricultural technologies makes it possible to estimate the benefits that an activity/technology can generate for society. It also serves to present to society the effectiveness of its results, compared to the public resources applied to the implementation of these technologies and/or public policies. The present work estimated the environmental, socioeconomic and technological impacts of viticulture practiced in a region with a hot climate in the municipality of Guarapari, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. As a methodological approach, the Agricultural Technological Innovation Impact Assessment System (Ambitec-Agro) was used, monitoring seven family production units for three consecutive harvests (2020, 2021 and 2022). Viticulture was an activity that showed improvement in sustainability levels, with positive impact indexes in the environmental (2.91), economic (6.29) and social (4.74) dimensions, with an average overall impact index of 4.02. The modest gains in the environmental dimension reveal that it is necessary to strengthen environmental balance practices. The economic dimension presented better performance, attributed to increased productivity and good management practices. Social gains were attributed to the empowerment of family farmers, improved income and the provision of Research and Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (TARE) services. To improve sustainability levels, it is necessary to explore new market niches, verticalize production systems (agro-industries) and increase interaction with the urban environment through rural tourism.

Dynamics and transformations in the intensive productions of the AMBA South in the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic

Cecilia Ines Seibane — 2024-12-26

This work seeks to analyze the transformations that have occurred in the production of vegetables and flowers in the periurban area south of Buenos Aires since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. A qualitative methodology was used, with 16 in-depth interviews with key informants (producers, private technicians and public bodies, commercial agents). The results show a high resilience of the productive systems in this territory. The horticultural activity continued with the production process, despite the restrictions, supplying fresh products to a constant demand, accompanied by good prices, with relative improvements in the production units. On the other hand, flower production is hampered by a decrease in demand, with the exception of maceta plants. A process of adaptation of the production and commercial processes of the production units is observed in the context of restriction implemented in the pandemic. These modifications do not correspond to profound transformations, but rather to discreet changes in tune with processes that have taken place in the territory.

From the city to the countryside in times of crisis. The process of counterurbanization and re-ruralisation produced by the pandemic

Néstor García Montes — 2024-12-26

The COVID-19 pandemic and confinement have been a critical event with serious psycho-emotional, social and collective health consequences, and of a scope and extent previously unknown to most of today's generations. In this context of socio-health crisis, a phenomenon of counter-urbanisation and re-ruralisation took place whereby a significant number of people made a residential shift from urban to rural settings. The motivations behind this "great escape" are analysed here, both explicit and verbalised factors and those that appear in an underlying and connotative way. The analysis is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of primary information (interviews, questionnaires and focus groups) and secondary sources. Although this process of urban exodus took place in different countries, we will focus on the Spanish case.

Conciliando crescimento energético sustentável e segurança alimentar: Desafios da implantação de energia fotovoltaica em terras agrícolas no Brasil

Álvaro Guilherme Rocha — 2024-12-26

This study analyzed a challenge faced by Brazil: the
introduction of photovoltaic systems in its agricultural lands.
In this context, the research highlighted the need to explore
sustainable and innovative strategies to efficiently integrate
solar energy into Brazilian agribusiness, considering Brazil's
central role in global agribusiness and the importance of its
agricultural areas for the development of renewable energy
sources. The research addressed this issue by analyzing 4,741
peer-reviewed articles published in English, aiming to assess
the existence of public policies and regulations for
photovoltaic energy projects on Brazilian agricultural lands.
The results revealed a significant gap in this regard,
highlighting the absence of specific guidelines for the
regulation of photovoltaic plants in areas designated for
agricultural production. This lack of regulatory guidance was
identified as one of the main challenges for the sustainable
implementation of these projects. To overcome this barrier,
the study proposes promoting dialogues between the
government, rural producers, civil society, and the
photovoltaic sector, with the objective of formulating public
policies that promote the harmonious integration of
photovoltaic energy on agricultural lands. The study offers a significant contribution to the debate on the use of agricultural
lands in energy generation, emphasizing the importance of
solutions that reconcile agribusiness and the expansion of solar
energy, aiming at the sustainable development of Brazilian
agribusiness.

Technological change and work in 21st century cattle farming in the province of Buenos Aires

Bruno Capdevielle — 2024-12-26

In recent decades, Argentina's cattle farming has undergone technological transformations related to the processes of intensification and relocation of production. These changes, mainly driven by the expansion of agricultural use, were centred in the province of Buenos Aires. In this context, the analysis of intensification focused predominantly on the technical and economic aspects of the transformations, leaving unexamined the changes in social aspects such as work organisation, the characteristics of the tasks and the demand for qualifications in livestock farming. This article proposes to approach technological change during the 21st century in livestock farming in the province of Buenos Aires from the perspective of labour and those who carry it out. Based on interviews with livestock producers, technicians and employees, we investigate the changes in tasks related to feeding, health and reproduction, with emphasis on the changes in times and types of work, the skills required and the control of the production process. In this way, we seek to integrate labour and workers into the analysis of technological change in contemporary cattle farming.

Perception of the value added of the agricultural cooperative in the eyes of specialists and cooperative rural producers

Juliane Andressa Pavão — 2024-12-26

The study aimed to identify the perception of aggregation of economic, social and environmental value in agricultural cooperatives from the perspective of specialists and cooperative rural producers. Therefore, an exploratory, qualitative and quantitative study was developed, using the Delphi Method. The findings reveal that, according to the perception of rural producers, the cooperative adds economic value through the fulfillment of signed contracts, the distribution of net leftovers and quality technical assistance. It adds social value by including women agricultural producers in its activities, by holding courses, lectures and training, as well as by promoting the development of the region. Also, rural producers perceive the addition of environmental value through guidelines for the correct disposal of waste, and collecting the packaging of agricultural pesticides. Research results directly contribute to the environment of agricultural cooperativism in order to guide practices that add social and environmental value.

Brazilian scientific production on agricultural price hedging: a bibliometric study

Odilon José de Oliveira Neto — 2024-12-26

In the face of the relevance of research on the risk management of agricultural commodity prices through the use of hedge operations in futures markets, a lack of information on Brazilian scientific production in this field was identified. This includes the impact, evolution, productivity, visibility, and relevance of studies, which motivated the conduct of this research. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe and analyze the bibliometric indicators of Brazilian scientific production on “agricultural price hedging” available in freely accessible online journals. The study was conducted in accordance with the bibliometric laws of Bradford (1934), Lotka (1926), and Zipf (1949), encompassing articles published in freely accessible scientific journals over the last 25 years, available online through the CAPES and Google Scholar portals. The results contributed valuable information regarding the evolution, impact, productivity, visibility, and relevance of Brazilian scientific production on “agricultural price hedging”. Additionally, they highlighted a greater willingness to conduct studies encompassing a broader diversity of agricultural and livestock products.

Carrying out Institutional Work practices to promote the Internet of Things (IoT) in beef cattle in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul/Brazil

Eduardo Corneto-Silva — 2024-12-26

The objective of this study is to analyze how the implementation of Institutional Work practices fosters the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in cattle farming of cutting in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul/Brazil. A qualitative, deductive and exploratory study was adopted, with semi-structured interviews and secondary data collection. Sixteen institutional actors, public and private, from the state of MS, who work or have worked in projects using IoT for the production of beef cattle, were interviewed. Data were analyzed using Bardin 's (2009) content analysis and the help of the qualitative analysis software, ATLAS.ti8®. It was observed that only four Institutional Work practices were identified as existing in the macro environment of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul/Brazil, namely Advocacy, Constructing identities, Constructing normative networks and R&D. Another four practices were identified as partially existing, and two practices as non-existent. Among the contributions presented are the aggregation of empirical studies to the field of knowledge of IoT, agribusiness and the theory of Institutional work, a topic rarely addressed until then. As a contribution to the practice, the detail of the Institutional work carried out in the state of MS, allowing federal, state and private public actors to make conscious and efficient efforts to boost and structure IoT in the Brazilian rural productive sector.

History, Environment and device of power

Carlos Alexis Flores Cancino — 2024-12-26

The present essay explores possible links between environmental history and Michel Foucault's concept of the apparatus of power, focusing on his work The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: The Will to Knowledge. In Foucault, the problem of power goes beyond repression or its negative character. He offers us the articulation of knowledge-power-pleasure as a basis for analyzing power relations. Environmental history, on the other hand, analyzes how human societies have been affected by the environment and, in turn, have transformed it through the social relations of appropriation and production. This essay seeks to reflect on environmental issues through a Foucauldian lens, drawing on contributions from contemporary philosophy, film, and literature. By generating these dialogues, it aims to contribute to this field by advocating for a more complex understanding of power relations and the actors involved in natural and social history, to avoid stagnation in environmental historical analysis.

The Rural Movement of Catholic Action in Chaco (1964-1972). A historical reconstruction in an agrarian key.

Leonardo Hernán Fernández — 2024-12-26

The thesis addressed the political organization process experienced by small and medium-sized cotton producers in the province of Chaco during the 1960s and early 1970s. The organization of these producers was possible thanks to the work of the Rural Movement of Argentine Catholic Action (hereinafter MR). After a first stage of internal organization, they emerged into public life participating in massive mobilizations and direct actions in the cotton region of the province. Throughout this process, the MR was formed as a social movement that had its own identity that exceeded the Catholic one. Its identity was also defined by the territorial social organization that it developed, the defense of agricultural production and commercialization, and by the age range of the majority of the participants.

Furthermore, the MR was a social actor where a gender current began to crystallize that attempted to make the work of rural women visible and that stimulated their training and political participation. Finally, in 1972, when the mobilization of the MR was considered excessive for the ecclesial hierarchy, it made the decision to expel him from Catholic Action.

Women and feminisms in rural areas: work, bodies and resistances

Evelyn Medina — 2024-12-26

“Women and feminisms in rural areas: work, bodies and resistances” represents a collective bet for a feminist and plural production. The book brings together a set of empirical works and theoretical and methodological approaches that address gender and ruralities in different topics from a critical and situated point of view. In this way, we consider that the compilation contributes to current debates and dialogues on the social organization of care, resistance in rural spaces, notions of productive and reproductive work, gender inequalities, public policies, food sovereignty and agroecology, women's political participation and the body as a territory of dispute, from a decolonizing, inter/transdisciplinary and intersectional perspective

Peronism, agriculture and environment.

Micaela Silvestro — 2024-12-26

The book Peronism, agriculture and environment written by Federico Martocci is part of the collection "La Argentina Peronista", aimed at a diverse audience. This work addresses the state initiatives implemented during the first Peronist government to promote soil conservation and the protection of the caldenal in the center of the country. Thus, it brings light to a problem linked to the erosive process that had been identified since the 1930s. As the author states at the beginning, this dimension has not lost validity and shows this in a lucid connection with contemporary processes, such as the truncated project to create the El Caldenal National Park in 2022. The temporary cut takes up the first state responses to the erosive agroclimatic crisis that acquired notable intensity at the end of 1930, until the completion of projects that took place during Peronism, which It ends in 1955, with the civil-military coup that overthrew Perón. This productive and environmental reality presented is far from that generalized imaginary that links Argentina as the “breadbasket of the world” and puts us in front of much more complex events that qualify those often idealized rural images.