Challenges and strategies of family farming in assentamentos rurais on the agricultural frontier

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the territorial repercussions of the advance of the agricultural frontier on the assentamentos rurais of Xingu-Araguaia (Mato Grosso) and family farming. To this end, the municipality of Querência is emphasized as it is where the grain production chain is most organized and consolidated in this region. Besides, in this municipality, there are five assentamentos with approximately 1219 families. In the last few years, there has been a rapid conversion of pastures by the cultivation of grains, especially soybeans. The methodology of the article is composed of bibliographic review, collection of secondary data and conducting empirical research to obtain primary data. The work show that, contrary to what happens among settlers who choose to produce commodities, settlers who remain linked to the practice of family farming seek local partnerships in search of knowledge exchange, strengthening territorial cohesion between these families and marking the troubled coexistence of different interests and actors on the agricultural frontier.