Casa Río Lab
Casa Río Lab
Project: Biocultural Ring of Greater La Plata
Team Members: Alejandro Meitin, Daniel Lorenzo, Brian Holmes, Ulises Cura Jauregui, Lázaro Meitin, Viviana Staiani, Jorge Safar, Graciela Carnevale, Carlos Díaz de la Sota, Alicia Van Damme, Eyra Jauregui, Marcelo Miranda
Creation Year: 2021 – present
Location: Southern Coastal Strip of the Río de la Plata
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://casariolab.art
Instagram: http://instagram.com/casa.rio
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lacasario
Description, concept, objectives
Since 2021, we have been developing the “Biocultural Ring of Greater La Plata.” This area spans the coastline from Punta Lara to Los Talas, including Santiago and Paulino Islands and the historic port zones of Berisso and Ensenada. It then moves inland through the El Pescado creek basin, reaching the fruit and vegetable belt in the elevated southern edge of the city, and returns to the river via the Martín and Carnaval creek basins.
The concept of a Biocultural Corridor emerges from the need to interconnect ecosystems to ensure the continuity of ecological processes. Yet, a biocultural corridor also encompasses local knowledge, practices, and cultural expressions. This initiative seeks to define the roles of urban, ecological, and agricultural communities while promoting the preservation of regional identities and biodiversity.
The Biocultural Ring of Greater La Plata is a productive territory, not only in agricultural terms but also ecologically and culturally. Casa Río Lab promotes various activities of exploration, research, and revalorization of this circuit, which faces threats from external invasion and uncoordinated internal development. This territory features a complex land-use matrix, including agricultural, industrial, residential, and service-related activities.
Diagnosis and Cartography
To consolidate the Biocultural Ring, we carried out a cartographic diagnostic phase in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of artists, geographers, biologists, philosophers, lawyers, programmers, and communicators. We surveyed open georeferenced data from IGN, INDEC, and RENABAP, complemented by information on productive activities and real estate developments from platforms such as OpenStreetMap, Zonaprop, and Argenprop.
The analysis was structured around three axes: Natural Structure, Habitat and Production
These axes allowed us to identify the area’s ecosystemic elements and their relationship with human settlements and agricultural and industrial activities. Key findings include:
-The Biocultural Ring covers approximately 81,000 hectares.
-62% of this area is composed of natural structures, including protected basins, reserve areas, and watercourses.
-Roughly 48,000 families reside within this zone.
Activities
In December 2021, we hosted the Biocultural Festival of the Ring in Quinta Verón, Los Talas, Berisso. During the event, local residents presented proposals for culture-nature integration, and a large assembly was held to debate the territory’s challenges and possibilities. Progress was also made on drafting a law on Biocultural Corridors.
Following territorial work and exchanges with regional organizations, on November 7, 2022, we submitted the Biocultural Corridors Bill to the Provincial Legislature. This grassroots initiative seeks to promote recognition, encouragement, and protection of biocultural corridors in the Province of Buenos Aires.
Biocultural Dialogue Roundtable
Concurrently, we launched the Biocultural Dialogue Roundtable, a mobile platform for the social construction of territory. Rural producers, academics, artists, and organizations participate in this space, discussing the scope and limitations of the work carried out. It seeks new forms of action to connect community actors, offering critical perspectives and exploring possibilities of coexistence.
The goal is to challenge a development model that threatens common natural goods and dismantles the region’s environmental and social fabric, turning it into a contested space.
Challenges and Future Prospects
The Biocultural Ring continues to evolve, facing persistent challenges in its consolidation. Despite advancements in diagnostics, visibility, and stakeholder coordination, there is still a need for stronger institutional commitment and public policies to ensure its sustainability.
The project’s future hinges on the capacity of stakeholders to forge alliances, secure funding, and establish effective legal tools to sustain and further its development.
