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

Abstract

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.