“Había agüita… y nos quedamos a pelear la vida”. Estrategias de Vida de Productores Hortícolas. Chacra de la Merced

• Autores: Silvia Gertrudis Criado
• Directores de la Tesis: Roberto Benencia (dir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) ( Argentina ) en 2019
• Idioma: español
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: hdl.handle.net
• Resumen
  • español

    Este trabajo trata sobre las estrategias implementadas por familias de horticultores que vivían en Chacra de la Merced, en el cinturón verde de Córdoba. Ocurrió un proceso de transformación territorial y ante la falta de mano de obra, personas de nacionalidad boliviana adquirieron protagonismo en los trabajos de campo.

    Un ambiente, en creciente contaminación y degradación. Liberación de líquidos cloacales al río Suquía y la actividad extractiva de áridos, causaron transformaciones de índole socio productivo.

    Se plantea, identificar y analizar las estrategias de vida implementadas por familias, trabajadoras hortícolas. Indagar sobre el lugar que ocupan y la influencia que ejercen las redes de relaciones sociales y el uso de los recursos agro productivos. El abordaje es de tipo cualitativo. Se realizaron, entrevistas en profundidad y observaciones etnográficas.

    Las prácticas agrícolas, el capital social y cultural incidieron en la localización, permanencia y migración de las familias bolivianas. Ocurrió migración intra regional, entre las distintas zonas del cinturón verde. Estructuraron una red socio ambiental, que se auto sustenta, que viabiliza y favorece la permanencia en la horticultura y el acceso a los recursos agro productivos.

    Los nativos, con sus prácticas conservacionistas, crearon un “universo agroecológico”, fuente de valores y saberes que les permitía resistir y permanecer en el lugar.

    El abandono de la actividad hortícola en Chacra de la Merced, estuvo signado por la emergencia de un creciente entramado de limitantes: contaminación del agua de riego, dificultad para acceder a la tierra, exigencias de comercialización y creciente demanda de la actividad extractiva.

  • English

    This research project deals with the strategies implemented by farming families living permanently or temporary in a sector of the peri-urban area known as Chacra de la Merced.

    This agricultural area belongs to the greenbelt of Cordoba and is located in the northeast of the city. Since the middle of the last century, main activity of this area has been the production of vegetables.

    In the same way as in many metropolises of Argentina, the growth of the city of Cordoba had an impact on a complex process of territorial change in the peri-urban area. This is a transitional space, which limits are subject to economic processes related to the capitalist assessment of the different areas. Furthermore, it promotes the inclusion of the lands into the city, whether as new urbanizations o as the development of productive activities associated with the industry. In this context, the horticultural practices are no longer the only activity nor the main source of funds for the families living in the area.

    Besides, in the agricultural sector there was a social differentiation process in the horticultural activity due to a growing reaffirmation of globalized productive models. In the face of the increasing demand for labor during the production cycle, a group of Bolivian migrants played a prominent role in the sector and had a growing involvement in all activities related to the production of vegetables. In their work and migratory pathways, these Bolivian migrants learned the horticultural trade and established a complex, intricate social network.

    This is how a heterogeneous social structure emerged, characterized by new kinds of productive social relations.

    In this context, since the 80’s in Chacra de la Merced began a process by which the horticultural workforce was replaced, followed by a change in the productive activity. In addition, this environment situated very close to the Suquía river was affected by two main impacts. First, the release of untreated sewage into the course of the river. Second, the increase in sand and gravel extraction, which incessantly and steadily influenced the landscape.

    In this framework, it was discovered that Chacra de la Merced is a vulnerable, fragile space undergoing a constant socio-productive change. This is why in order to start the present research project the following questions arose: Which strategies did family farmers implement in order to ensure continuity of their activity as horticulturists? How do the availability, exploitation and use of the agricultural productive resources influence on the continuity of the horticultural activity? How did the social relation networks affect the work pathways of the horticultural workers? The main goal of this thesis is to identify and analyze the life strategies implemented by a group of horticultural families in response to the productive, technological and socioeconomic changes imposed by a globalized agricultural model. Another target is to inquire into the position and the influence of the social relation networks, and into the use of the agricultural productive resources.

    This will be a qualitative thesis ─working methodology that allows the analysis of social processes characterized by the relationships and links existing among socially situated individual actors. During the empirical work, in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation were used for inquiry. The study units were the families that have worked or are working on the production of vegetables.

    The results of this study reveal that the emergence of agricultural areas, their changes and reshaping are linked to the use of agricultural productive resources. Moreover, it was found that the traditional or conventional agricultural practices, and the social and cultural capital brought into play during the formation and change of the productive area influenced on the location, permanence and migration of the horticultural farmers. Besides, it was possible to discover that through conservationist practices some native families created an “agroecological universe”, which represented a source of values, knowledge and traditions that allowed them to withstand and stay in the area.

    In addition, it is necessary to state that the work pathways of Bolivian migrants favored the learning of the horticultural trade, and that there is an intra-regional migration among the different areas of the Cordoba greenbelt. In this regard, Chacra de la Merced is a transit point, and a perfect productive area that allowed the Bolivian migrants to capitalize themselves and achieve an upward social mobility.

    Evidence was found that the horticultural production and the intra-regional migration of Bolivian families were determined by land and water exploitation and availability.

    Therefore, it can be stated that migrants arranged a self-sustaining socio-environmental network, which enables and facilitates their permanence in the horticulture industry.

    Finally, the horticultural activity abandonment in Chacra de la Merced was marked by the emergence of a growing scheme of environmental, productive and social constraints.

    Some of these constraints include the pollution of irrigation water, the difficulty in land exploitation, the commercialization requirements, and the growing demand of sand and gravel extraction.