Globalization and Restructuring of the Agricultural Production in the Cerrados Biome of Central-North Brazil (MATOPIBA)

Abstract

An important expansion of agricultural and livestock supply chains has occurred in Brazil in the last decades, which consolidated regional economies associated with several agroforestry products. This phenomenon has been encouraged by government policies, which not only have enforced the financial and technical modernization of the sector but have contributed decisively to the expansion of the so-called Brazilian agricultural frontier, a space of agricultural modernization in the interior of the country. The Cerrado biome region of central-north Brazil (currently known as MATOPIBA), which is the subject of this article’s analysis, has gained prominence under agribusiness rule, transforming itself into a space that favors the supply chain of grains. This phenomenon has produced relevant changes in the regional economy by triggering new dynamics in economic, spatial, social, and labor relations. Also, it has been responsible for various contradictions, considering the new economy’s innumerable impacts on the environment and local population’s livelihood.