RETRACTION AND GROWTH OF MARGINALIZATION IN CONNECTION TO PASTORAL ACTIVITIES AND INTENSIVE CROPPING IN SOUTHERN MENDOZA, ARGENTINA. REFLECTIONS ON MARGINALIZATION TYPES.

Maria Eugenia Cepparo, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina

This paper presents some reflections on the current situation of certain marginal areas and focusses in particular on their agricultural development. The drawbacks these areas suffer are related to structural factors arising from internal, environmental or cultural issues, while the positive transformations they may undergo are motivated, in general, by external economic factors. On the one hand, traditional low-yield agricultural practices have persisted for decades as a result of adjustement policies. Yet, due to the need to respond to market demands, there has also emerged an increasingly marked tendency to introduce intensive crops in lands outside the boundaries of agricultural areas.

This study aims at exploring the structural problems that seem to be crushing pastoral activities in the most fragile areas of the rural system in the Southernmost districts of the province of Mendoza, Argentina. An additional aim is to analyse the intensive agricultural development in this territory, as an example of flexibility, adaptability and integration to the current global scenario. Finally, an attempt will be made to put forth some ideas on the classification of marginalization types that underpins studies in our field. This classification has been formulated in central countries but seems to be far away from the realities of peripheric countries such as Argentina.