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Bio-Hegemony: The Political Economy of Agricultural Biotechnology in Argentina*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2009

PETER NEWELL
PETER NEWELL
Affiliation:
Peter Newell is Professor in the School of Development Studies at the University of East Anglia and James Martin Fellow at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment. Email: P.Newell@uea.ac.uk.
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Abstract

This paper examines relations between the state and capital in Argentina with respect to agricultural biotechnology. Argentina is one of the world's leading exporters of genetically modified (GM) crops and is a key player in the global politics of biotechnology. Whereas in other parts of the world, including other countries in Latin America, active civil societies and some governments have rejected the technology, Argentina has adopted it as a central accumulation strategy. The desirability of this strategy has been secured in material, institutional and discursive arenas of power, producing a particular expression of ‘bio-hegemony’. Looking at the role of business in the political economy of agricultural biotechnology is revealing both of the extent and forms of corporate power and contributes to an understanding of hegemony in practice.

Bio-hegemonia: a política econômica na agricultura biotecnológica na argentina

Síntese: Este artigo examina as relações entre Estado e o capital na Argentina no tocante à agricultura biotecnológica. A Argentina é um dos líderes mundiais em exportação de safras geneticamente modificadas (GM) e nas políticas globais acerca da biotecnologia é um participante chave. Enquanto em outras partes do mundo – inclusive em outros países latino-americanos – sociedades civis ativas e alguns governos têm rejeitado essa tecnologia, a Argentina a adotou como uma estratégia central de acúmulo. O atrativo dessa estratégia foi assegurado em fóruns de poder materiais, institucionais e discursivos, produzindo a expressão particular “biohegemonia”. Analisar o papel dos negócios na política econômica para a agricultura biotecnológica é revelador tanto sobre a extensão quanto às formas do poder corporativo, e contribui para um entendimento da hegemonia na prática.

Palavras-chave: agricultura, Argentina, biotecnologia, GMOs (Organismos Geneticamente Modificados), safras GM (Geneticamente Modificadas), soja, corporações multinacionais, Monsanto, Gramsci, hegemonia.

Bio-hegemonía: la economía política de la biotecnología agrícola en argentina

Resumen: Este artículo examina la relación entre el Estado y el capital en Argentina con respecto a la biotecnología agrícola. Argentina es uno de los principales exportadores de granos genéticamente modificados (GM) y juega un papel clave en la política global de la biotecnología. Mientras que en otras partes del mundo, como en otros países latinoamericanos, movimientos de la sociedad civil y algunos gobiernos han rechazado dicha tecnología, Argentina la adoptado como una estrategia central de acumulación. La viabilidad de tal estrategia ha sido afianzada en círculos de poder materiales, institucionales y discursivos, dando como resultado una particular expresión de “bio-hegemonía”. Al ver el papel de los negocios en la economía política de la biotecnología agrícola resultan reveladoras tanto la extensión como las formas de poder corporativo y contribuye al entendimiento de la hegemonía en la práctica.

Palabras clave: agricultura, Argentina, biotecnología, GMOs, granos GM, soya, corporaciones multinacionales, Monsanto, Gramsci, hegemonía

Keywords

agricultureArgentinabiotechnologyGMOsGM cropssoyamultinational corporationsMonsantoGramscihegemony
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 27 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Cambridge University Press

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References

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53 Ibid.

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56 American Soybean Association, ‘South American soymeal imports frustrate U.S farmers’, press release, 30 August 2002.

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85 La Nación, ‘Proyecto agropecuario?’, opinion piece, 16 May 2008; La Nación, ‘Unidos no solo por la soja’, Campo section, 5 April 2008; La Nación, ‘La soya no es un yuyo’, main section, 2 April 2008; ‘Respeto por el campo’, La Nación, opinion piece, 12 March 2008.

86 La Nación, ‘El peronismo y el campo’, opinion piece, 2 April 2008.

87 La Nación, ‘Apertura a los transgénicos’, Campo section, 26 April 2008; La Nación, ‘Respeto por el campo’, opinion piece, 12 March 2008.

88 Vein-ti-tres, ‘El lado criminal del boom sojero’, 23 November 2006.

89 La Nación, ‘Respeto por el campo’, opinion piece, 12 March 2008.

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91 Anders Hansen, The Mass Media and Environmental Issues (Leicester, 1993), p. xviii.

92 Gramsci, op.cit. p. 212.

93 Adolfo Boy, Grupo Reflexión Rural, speech at the meeting ‘Enlazando Alternativas’, Vienna May 2006.