The Political Economy of Ecosystem Services in Argentina: Actors, Agendas, and Interests

HAYLEY STEVENSON; JULIANA PEIXOTO; JULIETA GODFRID

Toronto

Congreso; International Studies Association Annual Conference; 2019

International Studies Association

Latin America has been at the forefront of efforts to value nature and incentivise conservation. In contrast to the innovation and experimentation by its regional neighbours, Argentina stands out as a country that has resisted the concept of ecosystem services. In this paper we explore the diffusion of the ecosystem services concept from the international to the local sphere, and examine why it has failed to institutionalise in Argentina. We draw on elite and expert interviews, and fieldwork in three sites reflecting important economic activities: mining, forestry, and agriculture. Our analysis reveals three pillars of resistance, which impede the institutionalization of this concept in Argentina. One pillar of resistance emerges from the agricultural sector, which is threatened by environmental exercises that question the rationality of intensive commodity production. A second pillar of resistance arises from the complexity of the ecosystem services concept; this complexity is scientifically justified but does not translate easily into the political realm. A third source of resistance emerges from the historical marginalisation of environmental issues in Argentina. We reflect on the implications of this case for wider efforts to promote sustainable development through the valuation of nature.