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Transgenic Crops, Environmental Contamination, and Peasant
(De)Mobilization in Argentina

A Dissertation Presented
by
Pablo Lapegna
to
The Graduate School
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements
for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Sociology

Stony Brook University

May 2011
Copyright by

Pablo Lapegna
2011
Stony Brook University
The Graduate School

Pablo Lapegna

We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the
Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend
acceptance of this dissertation.

Michael Schwartz – Dissertation Co-Advisor
Professor, Department of Sociology

Javier Auyero – Dissertation Co-Advisor
Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Professor of Latin American Sociology
Department of Sociology
University of Texas at Austin

Ian Roxborough – Chairperson of Defense
Professor, Department of Sociology

Marc Edelman – Professor
Department of Anthropology
Hunter College and The Graduate Center
City University of New York

This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School

Lawrence Martin
Dean of the Graduate School
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Abstract of the Dissertation
Transgenic Crops, Environmental Contamination, and Peasant (De)Mobilization in
Argentina
by
Pablo Lapegna
Doctor of Philosophy
in
Sociology
Stony Brook University
2011
Based on archival research and ethnographic fieldwork in northeast Argentine province
of Formosa, this dissertation examines the dynamics of popular mobilization and
demobilization in cases of environmental contamination. Drawing on the sweeping
advance of genetically modified (GM) soybeans in Argentina I reconstruct and compare
different responses of peasants to agrochemical exposures to address the following
question: Why, when facing an environmental onslaught, do people from the same
community sometimes react by organizing transgressive protests while at other times
failing to engage in disruptive action? The analytic goal is to explain the ways in which
people think, feel, and act (or fail to act) when affected by environmental problems. I
argue that this variation in responses to environmental damage is explained by the
certification and/or decertification of authorities, the evaluation of collective action‘s
effectiveness, and people‘s perceptions of politics and environmental contamination. By
exploring how people address their grievances through patronage politics and/or social
movements, the study shows the continuities and interpenetrations between these two
political phenomena which are usually understood as distinct and opposing spheres. The
dissertation‘s Introduction elaborates the overarching argument, presents definitions of
key concepts, and details the methods used for the analyses. Chapter Two discusses the
relevant literatures relating to social movements, patronage politics, and biotechnology in
agriculture. Chapter Three provides the background on neoliberalization processes in
Argentina, the expansion of GM crops, the history of Formosa and its peasant
organizations, and the communities of Monte Azul, Moreno, and Bermellon. Chapter
Four presents a diachronic comparison of transgressive mobilization and demobilization
in Monte Azul. Chapter Five presents a synchronic comparison of transgressive
mobilization in Moreno and contained mobilization in Bermellon. Chapter Six presents
an ethnography of the everyday life of a peasant organization, showing the
interconnections between social movements and patronage politics. The Conclusion
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summarizes the dissertation‘s main arguments and findings, and proposes avenues for
future research.
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Dedication Page

To the memory of my grandparents, Elda Durí de Calógero and Eduardo H. Lapegna.
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Table of Contents

List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………….. x
List of Tables …………………………………………………………………………... xi
List of Illustrations …………………………………………………………………… xii
List of Abbreviations ………………………………………………………………… xiii
Preface ………………….……………………………………………………………... xiv
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………….... xv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………... 1

THE CASES …………………………………………………………………………….. 1

DEFINITIONS ..…………………………………………………………………..…….. 3

Actors …………………………………………………………………………… 3
Actions …………………………………………………………………………... 4

METHODS AND SOURCES …………………………………………………………... 6

Data Collection and Analysis …………………………………………………… 7

WHAT LIES AHEAD? ………………………………………………………………..... 9

CHAPTER 2: (DE)MOBILIZATION, PATRONAGE POLITICS,
AND TRANSGENIC-BASED AGRICULTURE …………………………………... 12

DYNAMICS OF MOBILIZATION AND DEMOBILIZATION ……………………... 13

The Social Movements Field: Refining the Gaze at the Cost of Losing Sight … 13
Framings, Political Opportunities, Culture, and Demobilization ……………… 17
Methods‘ Advantages and Shortcomings ……………………………………… 23
The Limits of Theoretical Definitions: Social Movements,
The Polity, and the State ……………………………………………………….. 26

PATRONAGE AND POOR PEOPLE‘S POLITICS ………………………………….. 34

The Connected Lives of Patronage Politics and Collective Action ……………. 35
Clientelism, Politics, and Social Movements in Latin America ……..………… 38
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TRANSGENIC AGRICULTURE AND AGROCHEMICAL USE …………………….. 42

From Green Revolution to ―Gene Revolution‖ ……………………………….. 42
Debates on the Consequences of Transgenic Agriculture
and Agrochemical Use …………………………………………………………. 45
From the ―Bottom-Up‖ ….…………………….…………………………….…. 48

CHAPTER 3: NEOLIBERALIZATION AND THE DARK
SIDE OF THE BOOM ……………………………………………………………….. 49

AGRARIAN NEOLIBERALIZATION IN ARGENTINA ……………………………. 50

The ―Dark Side of the Boom‖ ………………………………………………..... 59
Neoliberalization Processes: Between State Retrenchment
and Reregulation ……………………………………………………………….. 62

A BRIEF SOCIAL HISTORY OF FORMOSA ……………………………………….. 65

Cotton, Cattle, and Concentration ………………………..……………………. 66
Politics and Peasant Organizations during Democratization ………………...... 70
An Overview of Neoliberalization in Formosa …………………….………….. 74
The Rural Communities of Monte Azul, Bermellon, and Moreno …………….. 78

CHAPTER 4: CONTAMINATION AND (DE)MOBILIZATION
IN MONTE AZUL ……………………………………………………………………. 81

GM SOY PRODUCTION IN MONTE AZUL: SOY RUSH
AND SKIN RASHES …………………………………………………………..……… 82

CONTAMINATION AND MOBILIZATION …………………..…………………….. 85

Contamination and Transgressive Collective Action ………………………….. 91
Health Problems and Misrecognition ……………..……………………………. 95
Controversy, Reason-Giving, and Counter-Framings …………………………. 98
Misrecognition and Contention ………………………..……………………… 102
Outcomes and Consequences ………………………..………………………... 108

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CONTAMINATION AND DEMOBILIZATION ………………………..………….. 110

Peasant Complaints and Authorities: Reaction and Recognition …………….. 112
Social Movements‘ Alliances and the State ………………………………….. 116
Contentious Identity, Collective Action, and Contamination ……………….. 121

CONCLUSIONS ……………………..………………………..……………………... 126

CHAPTER 5: TRANSGRESSIVE AND CONTAINED CONTENTION
IN MORENO AND BERMELLON ………………………………………………... 128

CONTAMINATION AND TRANSGRESSIVE CONTENTION IN MORENO …… 130

GM Soy Production in Moreno ………………………..……………………… 132
The Lead-Up to Contention …………………………………………………... 134
From Requests to Transgressive Contention ………………………………..... 136
Environmental Problems and Poor People‘s Perspective …………………….. 141

CONTAMINATION AND CONTAINED CONTENTION IN BERMELLON …….. 145

GM Soy Production and Agrochemicals in Bermellon ………………………. 146
From Individual Problems to A Public Issue …………………………………. 149
The Public Audience ………………………..……………………………....... 154
Contention, Organizations, and Authorities ………………………………..… 157

CONCLUSIONS ………………………..………………………..…………………... 160

CHAPTER 6: PATRONAGE, EVERYDAY POLITICS,
AND “DOUBLE PRESSURE” ON SOCIAL MOVEMENTS …………………… 165

PATRONAGE POLITICS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ……………………..…... 167

Patronage Pervasiveness: Language, Ambivalence,
and Informal Connections ……………………………………………………. 168
Resource Distribution and Problem-Solving within MoCaFor ………………. 172
Pressures ―From Above‖ ………………………..……………………………. 177
Resemblances and Differences ……………..………………………………… 180
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