The role of the informal economy in agro-ecological projects during COVID-19

Abstract On March 13, 2020, Spain declared a state of alarm due to the health emergency caused by COVID-19. In this scenario, the agri-food sector had to respond to a high demand in terms of production and supply. Among the different production models within the sector there are small agroecological initiatives that aim to develop peasant lifestyles beyond the reproduction of capital. The small agroecological initiatives have had to adapt to the changes imposed by the state of alarm in order to continue with their main activity: the production and distribution of food on a local scale. With a qualitative approach, the paper reflects on the challenges that small agroecological initiatives have faced with the regulations of public life and the effects that the measures have had on their activity. The research also focuses on questioning the dual role of the informal economy as both a shock absorber and a constraint. The paper analyzes the role played by the informal economy in the local agri-food sector in the peri-urban area of Barcelona and Madrid.

摘要 2020年3月13日，西班牙因新冠病毒（COVID-19）引发的卫生紧急事件宣布进入国家警戒状态。在此背景下，农业食品产业不得不应对生产与供给层面的高需求。该产业的各类生产模式中，存在小型农业生态实践项目，其旨在发展超越资本增殖逻辑的农民生活方式。这类小型农业生态实践项目不得不适配国家警戒状态所施加的各项变动，以维持其核心活动：本地范围内的食品生产与分销。本研究采用定性研究方法（qualitative approach），探讨小型农业生态实践项目在应对公共生活管控条例时所面临的挑战，以及各项防疫措施对其运营活动产生的影响。本研究同时聚焦于剖析非正规经济所兼具的双重角色：既是危机缓冲器，亦是发展制约因素。本研究分析了非正规经济在巴塞罗那与马德里城市近郊地区的本地农业食品产业中所发挥的作用。