Estrangeirização de terras no Matopiba: os atores invisíveis do território

Abstract

The remodeling of structural axes in spatial, social, and commercial dynamics in the Matopiba territory (an acronym for the Brazilian states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia) is caused by capital reproduction resulting from agricultural expansion, financed by developmental policies from federal and state spheres, and by the increase in international capital alongside the appropriation of land and nature. Foreignization is analyzed as a process that occurs on a global scale, with emphasis on African and Latin American countries, as they present lands with low prices, outdated legislation, arable land with water availability, and cheap labor. It is within this context that the territorialization of transnational capital in Matopiba is inserted, where there are currently 26 transnationally capitalized companies, mainly for the production of commodities such as cotton, sugarcane, corn, and soybeans (PEREIRA and PAUI, 2016). Based on this, the objective of this thesis is to understand the process of land foreignization in Matopiba between the years 2013-2021. To achieve this, the specific objectives are: I) to identify the social actors involved in the agrarian process of Matopiba; II) to analyze the impacts of land foreignization processes on the land market; and III) to make information related to the land and environmental structure of the Matopiba territory accessible. In this research, three methodological strategies are used: a) the Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) strategy for collecting, storing, and analyzing public information; b) another with a systemic approach, which according to Miguel, Mazoyer, and Roudart (2009) is used for the analysis of complex systems, such as rural environments and agricultural systems; the data analyzed in this process were extracted from the DATALUTA-Foreignization database, the National Rural Cadastre System (SNCR), and the Grain NGO; c) Development of the OSMAT WebGIS, based on technologies grounded for front-end. The theoretical framework is based on discussions about territory (FERNANDES, 2009; FERNANDES, 2013; CECEÑA, 2008), processes of capital expansion in the field (SILVA, 2016; ELIAS, 2002; ALBANO, 2005), land foreignization (LEITE; LIMA, 2017; PEREIRA, 2022; FAIRBAIRN, 2015), agricultural frontiers (SANTOS; SANO, 2015; MARTINS, 1996; FERNANDES; FREDERICO; PEREIRA, 2019; MARTINS, 2003). In addition to this theoretical framework, we also bring research focused on Matopiba. The results of this research indicate that among the states of Matopiba, in the period from 2013 to 2020, according to the DATALUTA Foreignization database (2013-2020), Bahia was the territory with the highest recurrence of transnational companies, with diversified and consolidated land uses. Regarding land use, attention is drawn to renewable energies (solar and wind energy) concentrated in Bahia and southwestern Piauí, with investments originating from Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Norway. Land use in Tocantins presents diversified behavior with grain production in rotation and commercialization of fruits and tree monocultures. Regarding the SNCR database, diversification of nationalities was identified in the municipalities that make up Matopiba, especially in the municipalities of Palmas – TO, Lizarda – TO, São Desidério – BA, and Correntina – BA. With the developed OSMAT system, it was observed that the municipalities of Balsas – MA and Campos Lindos – TO need attention regarding the diversification of nationalities and the advancement of agricultural expansion given their location within the Legal Amazon perimeter. In this sense, the transformation of land into a productive space is the main process of generating economic value. Therefore, it is considered an interdisciplinary, plural, and complex process. The land market in Matopiba is a potentiator of globalization applied in the Matopiba territory, as it allows the integration of economic actors from different countries and regions.