Latin America Challenge 6
Argentina is famous for its beef worldwide, and beef is a major part of the country's customs and culture.
The Spanish Conquistadors first brought cattle to Argentina in 1536. Because the local demand for beef was small and it was difficult to get the cattle to markets in the cities, the animals multiplied rapidly on the rich Pampas (grasslands). Only in the latter half of the 19th century did the Argentine beef industry become an international phenomenon. A number of factors played a key role in this dramatic expansion, including several important inventions.
Today's challenge: Name one of the factors that facilitated the development of the Argentine beef industry in the mid- to late-1800's.
Don't look this up - use what you already know about the region, the time period, and a little logic! Please list only one reason per post, but feel free to post more than once. Every reasonable post gets at least one vote.
And now I think I am going to head for the butcher to pick up some steaks for dinner ....
8 Answers
One factor had to be the advent of transportation, such as the railway car .....
I'd say that they need the invention of refrigeration to keep the large amounts of beef fresh until market.
Something that helped the growth of the beef industry in the US was the invention of barb wire. They could fence in large areas cheaply and needed less cowboys to keep the cows together. It was invented in the 1870s. I'm guessing they would of used it in Argentina too.
A combination of the two, refrigerated transport, so cattle could be butchered locally and meat exported relatively cheaply.
A N S W E R
The three main inventions that fueled Argentina's beef industry in the late 1800's were the railroad, barbed wire and refrigeration, specifically, refrigerated trains and ships. A big breakthrough occurred in 1876 when the first crude refrigerator ship sailed from Buenos Aires to Europe. This was the start of a large & profitable export market for beef.
The interesting market dynamic was that, because of Argentina's location in the Southern Hemisphere, its beef was available during the months when beef was less abundant in Europe and the USA. This reduced competition for Argentine beef in its export markets, resulting in additional demand.
Argentina remains one of the world's largest exporters of beef, but its prominence has declined in recent years due to governmental actions to control price of beef, including a 180 day ban on beef exports in 2006. Unfortunately, the scheme appears to have backfired. See this link for details.
Possibly the influx of Europeans who demanded more beef? Just a guess.
When talking about Argentina, one word springs to mind - asado!
We've touched on the main inventions - refrigeration, railroads and barbed wire. Does anyone want to speculate on the market dynamics?
