Agricultural Practices in Latin America: Challenges and Diversity
Key Agricultural Activities
Agricultural activities encompass the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for various purposes. Both are intrinsically linked to the natural conditions of their environment, including soil types, climatic conditions, labor availability, technology, capital, population habits, and agrarian policies. While agriculture’s role in the overall economies of the Americas may be limited, it remains essential for several reasons:
- It provides food for direct consumption by the population.
- In many countries, a significant portion of the population relies on these activities for survival.
- In other countries, agriculture is a primary source of export materials.
- Agricultural and pastoral products serve as raw materials for industries, such as refrigeration.
- Agricultural production necessitates multiple inputs, fostering the development of related sectors like agricultural machinery, transportation, vehicle manufacturing, trade, and finance.
However, agricultural activities face numerous challenges that impact both production capacity and the living conditions of those involved. These challenges also affect the proper use and preservation of natural resources. Lack of access to resources and technology often results in insufficient agricultural production to guarantee the population’s subsistence. Furthermore, declining international prices for agricultural products can trigger severe economic crises in producing countries.
In the Americas, the significance of agricultural activities and their associated problems vary greatly between the poorer countries of Latin America and the wealthier nations of North America.
Agricultural Activities in Latin America
During colonial times, much of the land was dedicated to agriculture and livestock to:
- Supply the European market with raw materials (e.g., sugarcane, coffee, and leather).
- Meet the needs of the colonial population.
The role of producers and exporters of agricultural commodities solidified after independence and during the so-called agro-export period. Today, while most Latin American countries have diversified their economies, agriculture continues to play a fundamental role.
Agriculture in Latin America exhibits some common traits across different regions, two of which are paramount:
- The coexistence of commercial agriculture and livestock farming, organized for profit, alongside subsistence farming, designed to provide necessary products for household consumption.
- A significant imbalance in land ownership: a few owners possess large tracts of land (estates), while the majority hold small plots (smallholders).
Large farms producing commercial products often belong to companies that invest substantial capital in technology to achieve high yields. Smallholdings, however, primarily produce for household consumption, with any surplus marketed locally. Consequently, small farmers often lack the capital to access new technologies for intensive land use. In some cases, they must overuse the land, leading to soil depletion.
Those Involved in Agriculture
Large Commercial Farms
Large farms in Latin America have different names depending on their primary activity and production organization:
- Plantations: Typical of tropical and subtropical areas, these are often foreign-owned companies investing in technology for high yields. They employ a large workforce with very low incomes and often specialize in a single crop (monoculture), such as coffee or sugarcane.
- Estates: Present in Latin America since colonial times, these engage in both agriculture and livestock farming, with production aimed at local consumption and the local or regional market.
- Rooms: Characteristic of Argentina and Uruguay, these occupy large areas and specialize in extensive livestock rearing but also cultivate cereals, oilseeds, and forage.
Medium and Small Producers
Small rural producers are impoverished farmers who own very small plots where they practice subsistence farming. Their production of staple crops like corn and potatoes barely covers their family’s basic needs.
There are also medium-sized farms, such as those in Argentina, used to grow fruits and vegetables for commercial purposes.
Landless Farmers
Landless farmers represent the most vulnerable group in Latin America’s agricultural sector. The lack of land to settle and work on forces thousands of people into situations of insecurity and poverty.
The Diversity of Latin American Agriculture
Agriculture in Tropical Areas
Tropical crops like sugarcane, coffee, and bananas are cultivated in areas with consistently high temperatures and humidity. These conditions are favorable but also present significant challenges.
Benefits include:
- Abundant sunlight promotes photosynthesis.
- Atmospheric humidity meets the water needs of plants.
- High temperatures allow for a wide range of crops.
Challenges include:
- The combination of high temperatures and humidity fosters the proliferation of fungi, pests, etc.
- The seasonality of rainfall affects the agricultural calendar.
- The likelihood of floods and droughts is much greater.
- Soils are more prone to erosion.
Large farms with the technology and capital for efficient operation dominate this type of production, ensuring higher economic benefits. Small farmers obtain food and income from cultivating maize, beans, cassava, and rice, but their productivity is very low due to a lack of funds and technical training.
Indigenous communities in these areas also practice shifting cultivation. This involves clearing a small area of forest and utilizing the soil’s fertility for cultivation. As fertility rapidly decreases, the plot is abandoned, and another is sought, repeating the process. This method allows for the cultivation of rice, vegetables, and fruits.
Agriculture in the Central Andes
The altitude in the central Andes defines specific temperature and humidity conditions, leading to an altitudinal arrangement of crops and livestock. Conditions for agriculture are more favorable on slopes exposed to the sun and humid winds.
- In lower areas with a warmer and wetter climate, rice, cassava, fruits, vegetables, and sugarcane are cultivated, along with cattle.
- Crops and livestock better adapted to temperate and cold climates, such as potatoes and corn, are found at higher altitudes.
- Above these levels, altitude crops like quinoa and animals like llamas and vicuñas are found.
Terraces are built on hillsides to facilitate cultivation and prevent water erosion. Traditional producers operating small areas and living in poverty dominate this sector of the Andes.
Irrigated Agriculture
Irrigated agriculture has developed in several arid and semiarid areas. Irrigation systems utilize groundwater or nearby rivers, transporting water through channels to cultivation areas. This technique offers an alternative, but not all countries can implement it due to the substantial capital required.
Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Peru have successfully expanded their agricultural frontiers using irrigation. However, implementing these systems on steep slopes can increase water erosion, leading to soil washing. This can be mitigated by placing crops to reduce the land’s slope and slow down water velocity.
In areas with poor drainage, water can stagnate. When irrigation water evaporates, salt concentrates on the surface, causing salinization. More sophisticated irrigation systems, such as sprinkler irrigation, have been developed to address these challenges.