Deal #4130

These lands were inhabited since the mid-nineteenth century by pastoralists of "criollo" descent who produce cattle in the bush ("ganadería de monte")

The pastoralist produce livestock in land holdings with undefined boundaries and a customary land tenure system. The Argentine land tenure regime recognizes the concepts of ownership, tenure, and possession. Possession implies 20 years of occupation and demonstrated improvements to the plot. Although the pastoralists of Salta Forestal fulfill this critera, the goverment has not yet formally acknowledged the pastoralist land tenure

In general, the pastoralists express a rejection of the concessions, particularly the people that has been evicted and the ones that has been encroached by the expansion of the agricultural frontier. In contrast, some pastoralist work for the concessionary companies and express consent with the installation of the concessionary companies

The document "Informe de auditoría definitivo Salta Forestal SA" concluded that during the period audited the relations between the concessionary companies and the pastoralist were highly conflictive

The expansion of the agricultural frontier carried out by the concessionary companies not only increased the limits to access and control of the resources, but it has also led to a situation of marginalization and expulsion of some of the pastoralists. The document "Informe de auditoría definitivo Salta Forestal SA" affirms that at least 200 families were dispossessed, according to an inspection by the Ministry of Labor

The documents "Informe de auditoría definitivo Salta Forestal SA" and "Diagnóstico social, ambiental y productivo de pequeños establecimientos ganaderos de Salta Forestal" offers an overview of some of the negative impacts for local communities

Some of the pastoralists are organized in a formal organization called Association of Criollos United for Our Land (ACUNT, Asociación de Criollos Unidos por Nuestra Tierra) and have held demonstrations and roadblocks, alongside with legal actions againsts the concessionary companies