Resumo

GELABERT, C.; DE BARGAS, S.; ROSITANO, F.  e  GONZALEZ, O.. Heliciculture activity in Argentina from the soft systems approach. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2014, vol.63, n.241, pp.97-108. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922014000100010.

Globalization printed particular features in the agri-food sector by increasing the interest on alternative agricultural production, including the heliciculture. in Argentina, during the period 2001-2006, this activity was strongly promoted from the perspective of agribusiness, which may be insufficient to explain the trajectory of activities in which the social relations of opposition or marked differences of power between actors exert a decisive influence. The application of tools of the soft systems could complement this theoretical framework highlighting other elements and relationships arising from the perception of the actors involved. The aim of this study was to model the heliciculture system in Argentina during the period 2001-2012 in order to analyze the evolution of the activity. Three methodological tools were used: 1) soft systems methodology (SSM) on his first and second phase, 2) system dynamics, and 3) social networking setup. This last analysis was based on two network indicators: density and centrality. The results showed that the heliciculture system in Argentina during the period under review was mainly developed from informal interaction between representatives of processing plants and collectors, in response to international demand, began to use a local wild resource. This interaction was kept until 2006. From this year, changes in economic variables led to a decrease in demand from the processing plants, discouraging the collection, thus explaining the variation in the indexes that characterize the structure of social networks configured for the periods 2001-2006 and 2007-2012. The model developed is a complementary tool to the agribusiness approach, since it allows to identify the effect of changes on the elements that compose it and propose intervention in order to maintain the sustainability of the heliciculture system.

Palavras-chave : Snail collection; Agribusiness; Adaptive management.

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