Trabajo comunitario y continuidad productiva agropecuaria en las zonas altas de la Quebrada de Humahuaca, 1980-2020 (Jujuy, Argentina)

This article explores the characteristics of agricultural activity in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, engaging with various research perspectives on agrarian change in the region. The study employs qualitative research methodologies, including the analysis of productive diagnostics and the collection of primary data through ethnographic records and structured interviews with agricultural producers. The core areas of inquiry focus on labor processes in agriculture and the structural conditions of production. In the broader context of agricultural and livestock decline, this research highlights community work as a longstanding labor practice that facilitates the development of critical infrastructure for agricultural activities—such as road construction and maintenance, irrigation projects, and access to essential water and electricity services. The continuity of agricultural production in the highlands of the Quebrada de Humahuaca is sustained by these collective labor practices. Where such practices weaken, productive activities tend to disappear, and rural areas face depopulation. Emerging socio-spatial mobility dynamics have enabled agricultural continuity despite urban migration trends, with producers and their families maintaining permanent residences in urban centers while sustaining rural production. In parallel, there is an increasing tendency toward specialization, where production units now focus on either agriculture or livestock, diverging from the traditional mixed-use model. The originality of this research lies in its ethnographic approach within understudied productive areas of the Quebrada de Humahuaca. By examining labor processes and production conditions, the study uncovers new conceptual categories that contribute to a deeper understanding of agricultural continuity in the region.