Comercio internacional y desarrollo sustentable: La expansión de las exportaciones argentinas en los años 1990 Y sus consecuencias ambientales

This report analyzes the relationship between international trade liberalization and sustainable development in Argentina during the 1990s. It examines how economic reforms, including the Convertibility Plan and the creation of Mercosur, influenced the country's export patterns and their subsequent environmental impacts, focusing specifically on the manufacturing sector and the intensification of agricultural production in the Pampas region.

• Argentina's export structure remained relatively stable between the 1986-1990 and 1991-1997 periods, continuing to be heavily dependent on natural resources. In 1986-1990, primary products and resource-intensive manufactures accounted for 73% of exports, and in 1991-1997, they represented nearly 71%.
• The manufacturing export pattern in Argentina is dominated by sectors with high or medium pollution potential. In 1990, these sectors accounted for 72% of total manufacturing exports, and by 1997, they still represented 69%.
• Trade liberalization did not result in a 'cleaner' export basket for Argentina. For exports to OECD countries, the share of high and medium pollution potential sectors actually increased from 68% in 1990 to 76% in 1997, primarily due to the expansion of medium-potential sectors like oils and fats.
• Despite the stable pollution potential of the export basket, trade liberalization induced larger exporting firms and foreign subsidiaries to improve their environmental management to reduce costs and increase efficiency. This is evidenced by the growth of ISO 14000 certifications; Argentina had 37 such certifications by January 1, 1999, the second highest number in Latin America after Brazil.
• Agricultural production in the Pampas region saw a massive increase, with grain and oilseed production rising from 26 million tons in 1988/89 to over 63 million tons in 1997/98. The area dedicated to wheat, corn, soy, and sunflower increased by nearly 30% (4.7 million hectares) during the analysis period.
• The adoption of 'no-till' farming (siembra directa) in Argentina has been rapid, growing from 300,000 hectares in 1990-91 to 5.5 million hectares in 1997-98. This practice is considered a 'virtuous' technological shift as it helps reverse soil erosion and has the potential to sequester carbon, with projections suggesting up to 187 million metric tons of carbon equivalent could be sequestered by 2002/2003.
• The introduction of transgenic crops, particularly glyphosate-resistant soy, has been extremely rapid in Argentina. By 1998, nearly 4.3 million hectares of transgenic crops were sown, with over 99% being herbicide-tolerant soy. This shift is viewed as environmentally positive because it reduces the total amount of agrochemicals used and replaces residual herbicides like atrazine with the more neutral glyphosate.
• The expansion of complementary irrigation using groundwater from the Puelches and Pampeano aquifers is identified as a potential environmental risk. There is a lack of specific regulatory norms and a lack of knowledge regarding the recharge capacity of these aquifers, which could lead to the drying of wells or water shortages in cities.
• Argentina's export destinations shifted significantly in the 1990s, with a marked increase in the importance of Mercosur and a relative decline in the importance of developed countries (PD). For example, the OECD's share of total Argentine exports fell from 47.15% in 1992 to 28.16% in 1997.
• The report argues that agricultural subsidies in developed regions, particularly the European Union, create a 'lose-lose' situation. These subsidies distort international prices, discourage efficient producers in countries like Argentina from adopting sustainable technologies, and induce over-intensification and soil degradation in the subsidizing countries.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Comercio internacional y desarrollo sustentable: La expansión de las exportaciones argentinas en los años 1990 Y sus consecuencias ambientales. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/xprt1990sfull_s.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Comercio internacional y desarrollo sustentable: La expansión de las exportaciones argentinas en los años 1990 Y sus consecuencias ambientales. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/xprt1990sfull_s.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Comercio internacional y desarrollo sustentable: La expansión de las exportaciones argentinas en los años 1990 Y sus consecuencias ambientales |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/xprt1990sfull_s.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndcomercio, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Comercio internacional y desarrollo sustentable: La expansión de las exportaciones argentinas en los años 1990 Y sus consecuencias ambientales}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/xprt1990sfull_s.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }