Sustainability or resilience? A case study in the semi-arid Pampean region of Argentina

Rural areas are being confronted with rapid changes and uncertainties in agricultural, forestry and landscape services which affect their future, and Argentina is no exception. Because of the dynamic and complex nature of rural systems, and because we are dealing with an interdependence between humans and ecosystems, resilience theory could be a useful framework for analysing rural areas regarding their ability to cope with change. Following a review of literature on sustainability and resilience, we introduce the case study, provide qualitative findings from our research and then analyse these results in relation to rural resilience in semi-arid areas such as the Pampean region. We open up new perspectives on resilience within the rural studies debate and make an original contribution providing an approach to reframe development theory and practice in rural areas of Argentina.