Methodological proposal to study the viability of the peasant farming and its testing in two farms in Santiago del Estero (Argentina)

Abstract

Some authors expressed concerns about the viability of peasant production and its subsistence capacity in the current capitalist context. However, reality shows evidence of its persistence. Probably, its conception as a marginal sector, condemned to disappear, has made it difficult to understand its potential. Despite the progress made in recent years, there is no consensus about the viability of peasant production, and it is not easy to find methodological proposals to study it. This paper aims to immerse into the dilemma, using two theoretical and methodological frameworks of relevance (agroecology and production balances) that were complemented and applied in two case studies (both in Santiago del Estero, Argentina). The results indicate that peasant production may be viable, that its empirical finding is feasible, and that it can be easily usable in the field methods; however, in order to achieve this goals, it is necessary to take into account other indicators or forms of measurement, more comprehensive, than strictly economic analyzes.