XIII National Conference of researchers in regional economies

Forbidden to make politics: regulating the participation of subordinate rural organizations

Abstract

This article seeks to reflect on the changes that occurred in the state public institutions oriented towards rural development and family farming in Argentina during Cambiemos’ government, paying attention to government technologies through which officials and leaders of peasant organizations are linked. To this end, a case study was built that focuses on exchanges between family farming officials and peasant leaders of the National Peasant Confederation (COCAN) in the rural development councils during the 2015-2018 period. Here we analyze both the issues discussed and the way in which peasant organizations carry out various organizational practices (within them and with other organizations) in order to make their problems visible and dispute rural development policies. Methodologically, a qualitative strategy was chosen based on interviews with more than twenty peasant leaders and state agentes, as well as participant observation carried out in various meetings and monitoring of the positions of the actors through different meetings, social networks and media.