From the agricultural frontier to the lands of the forest agribusiness

advances of the Eucalyptus forestry on family agriculture in the municipalities of São Pedro da Água Branca and Vila Nova dos Martírios, Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract

By incorporating new territories, the agricultural frontier of the forest agribusiness has provoked changes in the forms of land use and transforming the territories, including the areas destined to family agriculture and traditional crops. having regard to this context, the aim of this work is to understand the changes arising from the process of expansion of Eucalyptus forestry over family farming territories in the municipalities of São Pedro da Água Branca and Vila Nova dos Martírios, located in the microregion of Imperatriz. Methodologically, the research uses primary data based on field research, visiting eucalyptus plantations, settlements and small family farms to create photographic collections; semi-structured interviews were also carried out with small producers of areas on which the Eucalyptus forestry has advanced. The secondary data used to create maps, graphs and tables were collected in the databases of Incra, IBGE and in reports of the Brazilian Tree Industry. The results of the research indicate that the territorial expansion of the Eucalyptus, through the control and appropriation of lands, has caused transformations in family agriculture, such as the decrease and weakening of traditional crops in the region.