Avertissement :Les commentaires et analyses développés n'engagent que leurs auteurs qui restent seuls responsables des erreurs et insuffisances. AbstractIn the context of the rapid development of the cultivation of genetically modified soybeans in Argentina, we conduct a hedonic analysis of agricultural land values. The main objective is to evaluate the impact of land tenure systems and agricultural practices on these values. Data on 338 parcels, located in the Pampas region, are analyzed. The tenure appears to be a particularly important variable. We find that plots rented either by physical persons or by companies are negatively valued in relation to plots owned. Results also highlight the importance, though not to a large degree, of a diversified cropping pattern compared to soybean monoculture. Soil quality, location of the plots, distance to markets, as well as to the nearest city, were also found to affect land values.

This paper explores the long term sustainability of Argentina's specialization in genetically modified soybean cultivation. It is conceived as an evidence-based assessment of the most relevant economic, social, and environmental, implications of the "soybeanization" of Argentinian agriculture. We combine 2 sources of primary and secondary quantitative data: the National Agricultural Census, and farm level data from a field survey carried out in 2 provinces of the Argentinian Pampas. Our results suggest a major conflict between the success of the "soybeanization" of Argentinian agriculture measured in terms of production and profit records, and the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of this new model of production. GM soybean package adoption has increased farm productivity, and has reduced the costs per unit produced. The resulting dramatic increase in profits constituted a strong incentive to extend the scale of production. The development of companies comprising actors from both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, constituted a good way to extend the scale of production. But this technological innovation in agriculture has been the source of numerous criticisms. It is widely held among Argentinian researchers, in particular, that soybean expansion has increased land inequality and displaced labor. However overall we find a mixed empirical picture of changing land distribution patterns and labor displacement resulting from the soybean expansion. The environmental implications of agricultural biotechnology are alarming, and the long-term sustainability of GM crops can seriously be questioned. In a context where GM soybean production has become one of the strategic components of Argentina's economy, as well as in the country's international positioning, our results suggest that it is highly unlikely that the government will implement policies against this precious crop and its by-products. However, promoting sustainable agricultural growth has become not only desirable, but necessary.

An examination of peridomestic area organization and triatomine collection in an endemic village for Chagas disease (Jalisco State) identified the habitat of Triatoma longipennis (dominant species) and the risk factors of peridomestic infestation. In 100 visited peridomestic areas, 369 structures (permanent, temporary, and natural) were submitted to active manual research of triatomines. Storage shelters had a higher infestation of T. longipennis than piles of brick and tile; baked clay material had higher degrees of infestation than others. The secondary species Triatoma barberi shares a wide range of peridomicilary habitats with T. longipennis. Peridomestic area infestation risks (evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analysis) are number of closed storage shelters, number of brick and tile piles, number of houses per peridomestic areas, and distance of peridomicile from natural environment. Because both species present great adaptability to different artificial habitats, strategies of control must involved improving the overall management of peridomestic areas to prevent stable colonization.

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