Toward sustainability of local development in rural areas: New alternative productive scenarios in General Pueyrredon District, Argentina

Abstract

Argentine intensive and extensive agricultures industry has stood out in recent decades for its accelerated expansion processes linked to the technology package. In this context, there is a growing consensus, among different social and institutional actors, on the need to find sustainable productive alternatives. Some proposals, such as “sustainable agriculture”, “organic agriculture” or “agroecological agriculture”, provide ideas to contribute to local development, promoting harmonious relations between social actors and nature. This article explores alternative proposals for extensive agricultural and horticultural farming in the district of General Pueyrredon, Buenos Aires, Argentina, inquiring about the continuities, controversies and conflicts generated by its coexistence. Previous research was collected and semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants and farmers. The “alternative” proposals promote the maintenance of ecological foundations, the well-being of society and individual and collective peace. The development of solutions meets some proposals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.