La localisation des entreprises agricoles dans l'ouest de l'état de Bahia au Brésil

Abstract

The western plateaus of the state of Bahia are one of the latest frontiers of agricultural settlement in Brazil. In the 1970s, settlers from the southern states of the Federal Republic seeking for a more open and less restrictive land system began to clear the cerrado and to convert and develop one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country. Over the past decade, the foothills and plateaus of the region have been taken over by large agricultural companies with land holdings larger than the national average. The region has also experienced an influx of agricultural mega-firms. In the existing farms, "family" and "financial capital" have become increasingly intertwined. An analysis of the location of old and new firms and the methods used to establish them (both locally and internationally) will provide a basis for linking the history of land settlement to more global trends. The paper is organized around three key concepts: location, technique and territorialization. © Editions de l'E.H.E.S.S.