Text talks about the growth in economic, political and cultural influence of the country’s agricultural belt in the last 12 years
The British magazine Economist published on Saturday (September 23, 2023) a report called “Brazilian interior now resembles Texas”, with the subtitle “It’s a land of ‘brutes’, not of playboys.” The text highlights the population growth of the Center-West, revealed by the latest IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) Census. The region grew 1.2% per year, more than double the national average.
The publication also highlights the slowdown in industrial activity in Brazil, which during the second half of the 20th century was responsible for creating a migratory flow between the Northeast and Southeast. The movement shaped the country’s economy, politics and culture, which led the region to hold ⅓ of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and concentrate ⅕ of the population. However, the population of the Southeast does not grow as much as that of the Midwest.
The text shows how the industrial and services sector has lost strength and the focus, more than ever, is now on agribusiness, which has influenced internal migration. “What has changed is the perception that activity can offer a better life, before it was industry, now not anymore”said USP (University of São Paulo) researcher Carlos Vian, heard by the report.
The 2005 industrial surplus turned into a deficit in 2019, indicating that productivity stagnated and regressed. According to the text, the basis of the 19th century Brazilian economy has once again become a protagonist since Chinese demand rose in 2000.
“The export of soybeans, grains and meat has quadrupled since then and agribusiness is now responsible for ¼ of Brazil’s GDP, employing a similar proportion of workers”, says the report. The magazine brings as an example the city of Sinop (MT), founded during the military regime, in 1974, and which today is in the center of the soybean belt, having become rich through the activity.
The magazine reports that Sinop’s development was thanks to investment in technology, which made it possible to grow soy in the arid soils of the cerrado. After 49 years, the population grew by 73% because of boom of agribusiness. According to the text, the roundabouts and car dealerships that make up the landscape of the city of Mato Grosso are reminiscent of Texas.
According to Economist, the economic growth of agribusiness in recent years has influenced Brazilian politics and culture. The musical success of the country genre is an indication of the phenomenon, which gives protagonism to “country singers who call themselves ‘brutos’”.
In the political sphere, the magazine says that “the self-esteem of country people is a challenge for the Lula government”. On the one hand, economic growth resulting from agricultural expansion is welcome. On the other hand, there is concern about the “environmental cost and the political implications of agribusiness”.
The text classifies Cerrado farmers as mostly supporters of the former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Recall that the STF (Supreme Federal Court) determined, in August 2023, a redistribution of seats in the Chamber of Deputies, due to population growth in the Central-West. According to the magazine, “the Northeast favorable to Lula will lose, and the agricultural belt will win”.
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