Defensive and proactive collective actions by family farmers in Santiago del Estero (2010–2025)

Abstract

This article analyzes the collective actions of peasant-indigenous family farming (AFCI) in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, in the context of land conflicts. The province is considered a paradigmatic case due to the precarious nature of land tenure, where 43.07% of farms lack defined boundaries, placing the agricultural space in a condition of high structural vulnerability. The study proposes an analytical matrix that articulates two dimensions: the type of conflict and the form of collective action. The objective is to understand how land disputes not only entail risks of eviction and disintegration, but also act as catalysts for defensive actions (to avoid deterritorialization) and proactive actions (to secure rights and living conditions). Methodologically, a qualitative approach was chosen through a study of four local organizational processes with different trajectories of struggle. It concludes that overt territorial conflicts tend to consolidate organizational agendas, demonstrating the capacity of these actors to generate innovative responses at the local level and diversify their networks.