Erva-Mate e a Conservação dos Ervais Nativos na Argentina

Abstract

Abstract: It addresses the history of human societies that, in the Argentine territory, were dedicated to the extraction, processing and trade of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis, St. Hilaire) or were consumers of the product during the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. It also addresses efforts to conserve native yerbales that were part of the forest and the rapid transformation of this landscape into deforested areas designated for agricultural crops and the planting of yerbales. It employs the Environmental History approach and uses various research sources, with emphasis on official documents, publications in the periodical press and the bibliographic production of the time. It concludes that the legislation to protect native yerbales and public policies were insufficient for their conservation, prevailing the economic interests that led to the drastic reduction of wild yerbales in the period studied.