Between 1992 and 2015 Argentina lost 17% of its tree cover. Regionally, deforestation continues, but net forest loss recently came to a halt. Some scholars argue that this was facilitated by industrial agricultural intensification. This view is debated, but we focus on the neglected costs associated with this intensification. An almost tenfold increase of pesticide use in Argentina during the last two decades caused the pollution of soil, water and sediments. The widespread use of pesticides is impairing the health of agricultural workers and people living near agricultural fields, and is putting the health of vulnerable parts of the population (children and pregnant women) at risk. More than 50 pesticide active ingredients marketed in Argentina have been banned in the European Union for safety reasons. We contend that health and pollution aspects need to be taken into account when assessing the benefits and drawbacks of different types of land use.

在1992年至2015年之间，阿根廷的树木覆盖率下降了17％。从区域来看，森林砍伐仍在继续，但是最近的森林净流失停止了。一些学者认为，这是由农业产业集约化推动的。这种观点尚有争议，但我们将重点放在与此集约化相关的被忽略的成本上。在过去的二十年中，阿根廷农药的使用量几乎增加了十倍，导致土壤，水和沉积物受到污染。农药的广泛使用正在损害农业工人和生活在农田附近的人们的健康，并使人口中脆弱人群（儿童和孕妇）的健康处于危险之中。出于安全原因，欧盟已禁止在阿根廷销售的50多种农药活性成分。