Traditional Andean Fair in Santa Catalina, Jujuy - Argentina. Means of subsistence and exchanges

TARTAGLIA GAMARRA MARÍA BELÉN; JULIAN ROCIO; BIBIANA VILÁ

Belem

Congreso; XVI Congreso de la Sociedad Internacional de Etnobiologia; 2018

Andean markets, or fairs are traditional means by which people in the Altiplano can meet. In many cases these fairs, are binational, linking communities in Bolivia and Argentina. On November 25th, the patron saint's anniversary celebration (Saint Catherine of Alexandria [Santa Catalina]) constitutes and integral element of the identity of the town of Santa Catalina, Jujuy and can be traced back to the 19th century. This celebration is preceded by an exchange and commercial market where traditional pastoral production and industrial food products?fruits, vegetables, used and new clothes, traditional medicine, small appliances, and furniture?are sold and bartered. Ethnobiological data were recorded on the fair in the years 2015 to 2017. The results were analyzed on: a) mode of transport (caravans of llamas, caravans of donkeys, vehicles, trucks, on foot), b) type of product exchanged, c) exchange rates, d) conflicts. At the fair it was possible to observe data to confirm the worldwide trend of the vulnerability pastoral livelihoods. The products of the fair were analyzed in relation to the "complementarity" of ecological floors, the classic Andean exchange system. The exchanges between different ecological levels (or vertical complementarity) have a modern format with subsidy of transport services in a framework of commercial transactions with "money value", assigned by the external market.