Our new paper is out in the Journal of Rural Studies! In this study led by lab member Olivia del Giorgio, we take a look at the different dimensions of smallholder access to examine the livelihood impacts of the expansion of agricultural commodity production in the Gran Chaco. We analyze changes in livelihoods in relation to the portfolio of access mechanisms deployed by smallholders, the relational access pressures they face, and the degree to which access to space is restricted for different activities. By disaggregating the effects of these different dimensions of access to land and resources, we show that it is possible to unpack the link between access and livelihoods, allowing to capture more-nuanced impacts for smallholders that might otherwise go unnoticed. We find that changes to the dimensions of smallholders’ access differentially impact their ability to engage in activities critical to their livelihoods, productive issues which are likely enhanced by a weakening of smallholder social networks. Our results highlight the need to assess smallholders’ access to land and resources, rather than merely the availability of resources, in order to better understand the impacts of commodity agricultural and properly target policy to reduce smallholder vulnerability.

Paper link: https://t.co/wezO1GFUdE
Versión española: https://t.co/z9zkFA1Joe
Photo Credit: Olivia del Giorgio

How do advancing agricultural commodity frontiers change access to natural resources for smallholders? Olivia del Giorgio's paper, the first student-led paper to come out of the LENDEV lab, tackles this question for communities in the Argentine Chaco. In it, we use satellite imagery to approximate changing access to space and natural resources from the perspective of smallholder communities in an Argentine municipality.

Versión española del artículo.

Over nearly a century of expansion in Latin America, Mennonites have created >200 agricultural colonies across 9 countries, covering a total area of greater than that of the Netherlands. Read our new paper to find out more! All data is available under a link provided in the paper. You can also find a Spanish version here and a German version here.

Can silvopastoral systems mitigate trade-offs between food production and carbon storage? In a new paper led by Pedro Fernandez from University of Tucumán, Argentina, we show that they might, but only if current practices of woody encroachment control are modified so they don't harm standing trees and prevent regrowth. See the article "A hard-to-keep promise" here.