Gerardo Andrés Denegri

Deforestation in the Chaqueña Region in Argentina

The purpose of this paper is to relate the degradation of the “Chaco Forest” to the Argentine socio-economic process using a systemic approach and to propose alternative measures to relieve its consequences. Three distinct periods in the degradation process were found: forest degradation from the end of the nineteenth century to the 1940s, deforestation and extra regional crops substitutions during the 1950s and the 1960s and erosion and desertification since the 1970s. The relationship between the socio-economic model of the “Pampeana region”, Argentina’s most developed one, and their cultural view of the forest taking into account the deforestation process, were analyzed. It was found that the Federal Government land use policy played an important role in forest land conversion to agricultural land. Sometimes it resembles a metropolis — periphery relationship.

Caracterización del complejo productivo de la madera de la Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina. Factores que dificultan su competitividad

The objective of this work was to identify and analyze forestry-industrial chains that compose the wood productive complex in the province of Cordoba and to discuss the variables that affect its competitiveness. Semi-structured interviews with key informants and bibliographical review were used to collect the data. Three chains were identified and analysed: the wood furniture, products for construction and packaging and pallets. From the analysis of the behaviour of the actors, it emerges that the profitability of companies in the industrial link is achieved by transferring the inefficiency of the complex to forestations and to a lesser extent, to native forests, maximizing individual gain. It is held as a conclusion that without the intervention of different State levels, the possibility of obtaining a certain short-term profitability and a strong individualist culture are not incentives to cooperate and generate sustainable integration processes. The cooperation between the various actors would provide greater integration between the chains, the incorporation of value, efficiency increment and the systematic competitiveness of the complex.