The Economics of Pastoralism: Study on Current Practices in South America

Abstract Transhumance is the regular movement of herds between fixed points to exploit seasonal availability of pastures. This is precisely the system presently employed in the South American Andes, using a vertical movement, usually between established points and linked through routes that sometimes are very ancient and mostly related to the herding of camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña and guanaco). Pastoralist activities in South America are present in four countries, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. In Argentina and Chile pastoralism occupies marginal areas, and its economic relevance lies in its capacity to fill economic niches (goat herding in northern Chile and southern Argentina; camelid herding in northern Argentina). Bolivia and Peru are, for historical, cultural and geographical reasons, in the heart of South American pastoralism and the importance of pastoralist activities is especially significant to both of these countries' economies.