Entre el riesgo climático y las transformaciones productivas: la agricultura bajo riego como forma de adaptación en Río Segundo, Córdoba, Argentina

In agricultural systems, the risks associated with climate define productive activity by being directly linked to natural processes. This paper makes focus on one aspect considered central to climate risks management in agricultural environments. Tat is the social perception of risks (especially variability or extreme and normal events). This perception responds primarily to different socio-historical influences (such as economic circumstances in the international and national context) and also to changes in climate that in recent decades have affected pre-existing physical conditions. The perception of climate was refected in productive practices in Río Segundo (province of Córdoba, Argentina) such as irrigation technology adoption. The application of supplementary central pivot irrigation with groundwater is the main strategy implemented by Río Segundo's farmers to address the major climate risk (unstable and low rainfall). The available empirical evidence on precipitation would not be enough to justify the investment in irrigation. However, this “cutting edge” farmers make technology adoption reasonably re-signifying the rainfall risk as beyond acceptable for modern farming.