Regenerative livestock ranching in the Gran Chaco is key to strengthening productive sustainability in Argentina.
Organizations comprising PATChaco visited the INTA Mercedes headquarters to consolidate future avenues of work.
In Argentina, the Gran Chaco Technical Assistance Platform (PATChaco) is strengthening its collaborative network among its member organizations
A group of PATChaco technicians participated in a field visit to Mercedes (Corrientes province). The purpose of this trip was to consolidate a working vision for the Chaco territory, drawing on the experience of the local headquarters of the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) in providing technical advice for the production and commercialization of smallholder livestock.
During the tour, it was evident that this support is based on a proximity model that has enabled trust-building with producers. Over the years, this has allowed INTA to work on management practices that improve animal quality.
Thus, INTA Mercedes supports and advises local producers on livestock management, soil health, pasture production, and farm infrastructure, among other areas
Community-driven work to maximize outcomes
A key component of this technical support is livestock commercialization, which translates into the organization of a community livestock auction, now in its 21st edition.
This collaborative activity is coordinated by INTA Mercedes and involves the commitment and coordination of smallholders to make their animals available for sale.
This auction is organized about 60 days in advance, as it requires coordinating the event's logistics, identification, documentation, and the transport of each animal.
The major benefit for the smallholders participating in this community-based commercialization is the guarantee of fair, market-aligned prices for their production. Furthermore, it allows them to share transport and auction-related expenses with neighboring producers.
A visit to forge a shared vision
Six PATChaco organizations and their respective technicians and leaders participated in this visit: TNC Argentina, Fundación Gran Chaco, Solidaridad, RegeNOA, FUNDAPAZ, and INTA Salta.
The experience served as a working and alignment session for the technicians from the various organizations, many of whom will participate in a PATChaco initiative aimed at integrating experiences and knowledge built across the productive units each supports in their territories.
The objective is to advance toward a collaborative technical assistance and commercialization methodology, grounded in the systematic exchange of learnings, joint planning, and shared monitoring.
The vision is to build concrete, on-the-ground solutions to scale regenerative livestock practices in the Gran Chaco.
"These visits serve PATChaco by fostering a collective spirit, but also because they leave us reflecting on the role that innovation, technical assistance, and social advancement must play."
Agustín Noriega (Fundación Gran Chaco)
"The core of this experience is the fundamental role of close-knit technical assistance, which is built alongside the producer and remains ongoing. This helps strengthen farm planning, production, and commercialization strategies."
María José Andreoni (Solidaridad Latinoamérica)
"We all have commercialization experience within PATChaco, but we never had shared spaces to reflect on our own practices. It also helps us understand where we stand and how far we still have to go."
Álvaro Penza (INTA Salta)
"This trip helps consolidate our forward-looking agenda to achieve greater impact. We witnessed end-to-end supply chain support that enables producers to secure the highest price for the product they are raising on their farms."
Luciano Fabi (TNC Argentina)
"These experiences are essential for our technicians—the ones who will train producers—who are often so focused on their own territories that it limits their broader perspective."
César Ardiles (FUNDAPAZ)
"With all this, one sees that we can build synergies among all of us participating in one way or another in the Chaco region, forging a shared vision beyond the nuances of each individual organization."
Facundo Manuel Castilla (REGENOA)
PATChaco: Driving collective change
Through The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Argentina, Future Landscapes is part of PATChaco and holds the vision of promoting and consolidating this technical assistance platform as a driver for transforming livestock ranching toward regenerative models in the Gran Chaco.
PATChaco connects individuals and organizations committed to a profound transformation of the Chaco's productive model, seeking to regenerate not only the ecosystems but also the social and cultural ties that inhabit the territory.
The initiative brings together professionals, technicians, and organizations with a strong track record in the region. The Platform joins and complements other agendas and alliances that have been engaged in joint efforts, some for over two decades.
PATChaco is dedicated to empowering, training, equipping, and setting a clear direction for all the organizational technicians working across the Gran Chaco territory.
