Neoregulation and Agrarian Class Structures: The Case of Argentina’s “Soyization” from a Food Regime Perspective

• In Event: 129 - Section on Latino/a Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Latinos and Agriculture

Abstract

What are the particularities of Argentina’s insertion into the neoliberal food regime? How does the Argentine state mediate regime integration? What have been the effects of state regulation on rural class structures? I argue that Argentina’s peculiarity lies in the state promotion and regulation of an export-oriented model of agrarian development centered on soy monoculture. What makes the Argentine case even more interesting is that regulatory practices and their effects on class structures both assume a paradoxical character. On the one hand, Argentina seems to defy the global intellectual property regime and prioritize redistributive policies. On the other hand, state intervention results in the furthering of soy monoculture and rural dispossession, all despite the anti-government attitude of agribusiness and inclusionary social policies. The main research aim is to encourage a well-grounded and nuanced food regime analysis that can articulate national variegation and class differentiation beyond globalist/maximalist generalizations. My empirical study relies on primary sources ¬– including the database of the FAO, World Bank, IMF, and the Argentine state – as well as secondary sources.

Author

• Efe Can Gurcan, Simon Fraser University