They Clamor for Emergency": Application of the Agricultural Emergency Law as a Response to 'La Niña' (2020-2023): An Analysis of National Resolutions

Abstract

During the extreme drought associated with the "La Niña" phenomenon between 2020 and 2023, the National Agricultural Emergency Law (Law 26.509) became the primary state response tool for mitigating impacts on the Argentine agricultural sector. The analysis of 26 national resolutions issued for the provinces of the Northeast and Central regions reveals an intensification of administrative activity parallel to the event's evolution: while the law proved to be a flexible and operational instrument—even during the pandemic—its application showed significant heterogeneities among provinces. In this article, we aim to comprehensively analyze this set of resolutions to identify similarities and differences in implementation criteria by provincial administrations. This study raises questions about the federal management of droughts, as well as equity in access to benefits for producers who experienced similar drought conditions.