ABSTRACT
The nature and problems of fragile lands in relation to agriculture in Latin America have been brought into focus by international development institutions. “Fragile Lands” are lands that are potentially subject to significant deterioration under agricultural, silvicultural, and pastoral use systems. The largest non-fragile, or less fragile, lands are the temperate grasslands and forests of southern South America. The more fragile lands are dominated by small farmers, whereas the less fragile lands are dominated by large farmers, haciendas, plantations, and corporate farms. All the fragile land categories can be utilized under extensive management systems with minimal deterioration. Development of fragile lands needs to draw upon traditional knowledge, on labor rather than on expensive fossil fuel energy, on management improvements which increase productivity without threatening sustainability, on risk avoidance, and on environmental stability. People’s attitudes towards fragile lands and how and whether they are used depend on perceptions which vary culturally and individually and change over time.
