The Reappraisal and recovery of camelids in the Argentine Puna
Changes in the multifunctionality of agropastoral systems in the high mountain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67086/nsj.32.33Keywords:
Puna, Camelid, Andes, Argentina, Pastoralists, LlamaAbstract
Breeding camelids is the primary livelihood of Indigenous pastoralists in the high-altitude cold desert of the Andes. Puna pastoralists face a nexus of longstanding and emerging challenges alongside new opportunities. Primary among these challenges are the impacts of climate change, which disrupt traditional environmental, animal health, and agricultural knowledge. Socio-economic pressures, including youth out-migration and localized labor shortages, further compound these difficulties. Conversely, new opportunities have emerged from growing demand among discerning consumers for unique, healthy, gourmet pastoral products, as well as the increasing adoption of mobile technology and e-commerce. Despite their vital contributions, pastoralists have frequently been blamed for land degradation through overgrazing, while public policies have often treated them as passive recipients of social assistance rather than productive contributors to food systems and local economies. Drawing on grassland ecology data and ethnographic research gathered over more than twenty years of fieldwork in the Puna, this paper examines the pivotal role of Puna pastoralists in Argentina, analyzing current trends, key challenges, and the multifunctional services their systems provide.References
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