Researchers have long debated how to balance agricultural productivity with socio-environmental conflicts, highlighting the impact of agrochemical use on biodiversity, water quality, and public health. While current approaches suggest that collective action among farmers could offer a viable solution, less attention has been given to how indigenous communities, historically known for communal management and reciprocal institutions, now operate within mixed systems of traditional and modern practices. These communities face dilemmas that hinder collective action and contradict their worldviews. This study addresses these gaps by examining the institutional and social factors obstructing collective action among Aymara farmers in northern Chile, showing how market-driven individualism undermines their reciprocal institutions, cultural knowledge, and communal interests.
Through semi-structured interviews with extension agents, government officials, and focus groups with Indigenous farmers in Azapa, Camarones, and Codpa, this research identifies critical factors that weaken sustainability. The findings reveal that deep-rooted distrust in institutional support, particularly after previous collective initiatives failed, has led to a retreat towards individual decision-making. In Azapa, market-driven intensive agriculture has entrenched agrochemical use, prioritizing homogeneity, volume, risk aversion, and short-term economic gains. In Camarones, while traditional Indigenous practices are more common, farmers feel torn between modernizing practices and preserving their traditional lifestyle. Migration and intermittent land use complicate coordination and collective decision-making, reinforcing the perception that individual decisions are more feasible. Codpa exhibits a blend of these dynamics, where traditional practices are increasingly abandoned in favor of competitive, high-input approaches driven by global market pressures. The lack of trust in collective solutions and fear of losing autonomy have hindered effective cooperation networks. Across all territories, the erosion of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge further complicates efforts to promote collective action.
This research provides evidence that fragmented participation and economic dependencies weaken the potential of collective action as a solution to environmental issues. Additionally, it suggests that sustainable agricultural transitions require rebuilding trust in local governance and actively integrating Indigenous knowledge systems before it is too late.
