Researchers from the universities of Río Cuarto and Villa María surveyed 83 fields in southern Córdoba, covering 14,817 hectares, to create the Map of Agriculture Free of Agrochemicals (ALdeA). There, food such as oils, flours, jams, preserves, cheeses, wines, and cereals are produced, all made under agroecological, organic, biodynamic, permacultural, and regenerative practices.
The project aims to highlight productive experiences developed in a region dominated by agribusiness, showing that it is possible to produce healthy food with added value without resorting to GMOs or poisons.
Objectives and Scope
The map, available at aldea.libre.net.ar, offers georeferenced information about each field: area, main and secondary activities, years of production, images, videos, and contacts to strengthen the community. According to Daniel Bellomo, a technician from UNRC, “the more producers participate, the more we enrich the map. The data can be useful for public policies, cooperative associations, or producers who were unaware of this model.”
The initiative is supported by Open Street Map, a collaborative mapping system, and has political backing from the universities, despite the context of budget cuts.
Distribution and Productive Diversity
The surveyed fields are located in 13 departments of Córdoba, with the highest concentration in Río Cuarto, Juárez Celman, Calamuchita, and San Javier. Productions range from small farms of less than half a hectare to agricultural-livestock estates of more than 4,100 hectares.
- Fruit and Vegetable Farming: present in 28 fields across 11 departments.
- Livestock: practiced in 84% of the fields (dairy, breeding cattle and full cycle, poultry farming).
- Crops: corn is the most planted, followed by wheat; soy appears in six fields with organic certification.
- Added Value: more than half of the fields transform their production into branded foods (cheeses, wines, jams, oils, snacks, lavender).
Social and Cultural Significance
The map reflects a generational change and a phenomenon of “neorurality”, with young people and professionals from various disciplines (economics, architecture, medicine) returning to the countryside to produce sustainably. According to Claudio Sarmiento, a teacher and project promoter, “when agroecology begins, life returns to the countryside. Wild animals, birds, and flowers appear. It’s wonderful how people reconnect.”
Agroecology is proposed as a social and scientific movement, discussing and redefining practices, and today even dialogues with agribusiness sectors on topics such as cover crops, integration with livestock, and biodiversity conservation.
The ALdeA Map demonstrates that agriculture free of agrochemicals is not only viable but is growing in a region emblematic of the extractive model. The initiative offers a meeting and visibility space for producers, consumers, and communities, reinforcing the idea that another way of producing food is possible and necessary for Argentina’s environmental and social future.
*With information from Agencia Tierra Viva
