Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive and compulsory social isolation on the workers of two circulatory territories in Argentina's agriculture

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we analyze the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the preventive and compulsory social isolation, called ASPO in Argentina (Decree 297/2020), on the temporary and cyclical mobility of agricultural workers towards different productive areas of the country. On the one hand, we observe the effects on workers of Salta province who were involved in harvesting and packing tasks in the viniculture sector in Mendoza and the fruit growing sector in Rio Negro when the ASPO was declared by the government. On the other hand, we inquiry about the impact on Bolivian workers that were doing different works in tobacco and horticulture farms in Salta province at the beginning of the pandemic and the isolation measures. Moreover, we observe some effects on Bolivian people that were permanently (residents) or temporarily in Salta at the time when the ASPO and the closing of the border between Argentina and Bolivia began. The findings are based on interviews to agricultural workers, leaders of social organizations both from Bolivia and Salta origin, and civil servants of the Bolivian consulate in Salta carried out during 2020 and 2021. We incorporate in our analysis the collection of national and provincial news articles, web portals, decrees and official resolutions. We also include the findings of our previous research conducted before the pandemic about Bolivian mobility associated to tobacco and horticulture labor market in Salta province.