The new agricultural frontier of Brazil: a theoretical essay on unsustainability in the Matopiba region

Abstract

Social and environmental sustainability is determined by the relationships established in a logic of respect, justice and equity, which includes production practices. Therefore, due to its agricultural characteristics, Matopiba, as an agricultural frontier, has been disputed and the inherent relations put in check. This article gathers evidence of agricultural dynamics in the Matopiba region and its relationship with socio and environmental sustainability. For this, a exploratory review of narrative literature and documentary research was developed by collecting data on the SIDRA database of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Monoculture, developed from a robust technological package and the internationalization of large areas of the Cerrado region, enables the production of commodities, especially soy. In addition to environmental impacts, the model of capitalist development adopted increases inequalities in access to land and modifies the sociocultural dynamics of peasants and traditional peoples. Thus, there is not enough evidence to confirm the socio and environmental sustainability in Matopiba, because the development of the region has been based on the inferiorization of the less favored classes and the planet. Therefore, Matopiba serves the interests of dominant groups and political commitments made, all based on planetary destruction.