The agrarian regime and the political economy of vulnerability in Uruguay

• In this study I address the political economy of vulnerability and adaptation to climate variability in the Uruguayan livestock sector. The research paper contextualizes vulnerability and adaptation pathways within wider governance structures running the agricultural sector. I address how vulnerability is historically shaped by wider processes of agrarian structural change observed during the last decades.  I use a political economy perspective and an historical institutionalist methodology to explore changes and continuities in the ideas, institutions, and interests. This triumvirate rationalizes the agricultural regime. From this approach, the analysis of vulnerability to climate variability is situated within the context of agricultural governance. An empirical analysis of the agricultural regime is used to examine the role of ideas, institutions, and interests in the structuration of the sector.  The study compares two different periods of agricultural governance which in theory are characterized by sharp ideological differences: the neoliberal and neo-structural periods. This comparative analysis reveals how the structuration of the agricultural regime overwhelms the capacity of different governments to tackle the root causes of vulnerability in the livestock sector. The inquiry reveals the politico-economic roots of vulnerability and how the sedimented structure of the agricultural regime constrains transformative adaptation strategies to climate variability and change in the agrarian sector of Uruguay.  The capacity of the agricultural regime to constrain transformative changes tackling the roots of vulnerability transcends the colors and the political capacity of the governments in control.    

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap -- Globaliseringsstudier (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science -- Globalisation Studies (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Social och ekonomisk geografi -- Kulturgeografi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Social and Economic Geography -- Human Geography (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Vulnerability

Adaptation pathways

Climate governance

Agriculture

Political economy

vetenskap om hållbar utveckling

Sustainability Science

statsvetenskap

Political Science

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)