Territorial strategies of forestry and agricultural corporations in Uruguay – the Southern Cone region of Latin America

Abstract

ABSTRACT Agribusiness is the main mechanism of spatial fix for international capital in the Uruguayan agricultural sector. Transnational corporations are the driving force behind the most significant agricultural transformations witnessed in the twenty-first century. The objective of this study is to gain insights into the territorial strategies employed by agribusiness corporations in Uruguay and to identify the resultant territorial changes linked to their expansion. The findings of this study reveal that these corporations: (i) prioritise the expansion over efficient territories with favourable agrarian structures; (ii) they significantly alter the preexisting agrarian structure – establishments size, intensity of land use and socioeconomic relationships; (iii) they give rise to new territorialities characterised by one-way agrarian transitions towards more capital-intensive uses. These transitions are linked to the intensification of land use, mounting pressure on land prices, and the deepening of processes of proletarianisation. This study stands as a significant milestone, as it is based on georeferenced data from land managed by companies. It provides evidence to support the argument that corporate encroachment in Uruguay exacerbates the processes of land concentration and exclusion, thus affecting the equitable distribution of wealth and resources. The article provides a general framework that can be applied to understanding corporate expansion in other regions.