A Cidade & a soja: impactos da produção e da circulação de grãos nos circuitos da economia urbana de Santarém-Pará

Abstract

The present work analyzes the urbanization and the production of urban space of Santarém (PA) under the impacts of the expansion of agribusiness boosted grain in the Municipality since the implementation of the Multinational Cargill Grain port S/A in 2003. In the Research the urbanization is comprised based on Milton Santos, who claims the city consists of two economic circuits: the upper and the lower circuit circuit of the urban economy. Such circuits are a result of different access and consumption of social classes especially in underdeveloped countries. Were selected for the analysis, representing the upper circuit, the new products, companies and demands that they enter in Santarém with the diffusion of the grains. For the analysis of the lower circuit were selected trade fairs of the Association of Rural Producers of Santarém (APRUSAN). Such a choice is justified for these being composed mainly of small producers from rural areas, those who have their food production directly hit by the impacts of grain production in Santarém rural areas. In the process of expansion of the agricultural frontier, the State (federal, State and municipal) was one of the main inductors and their actions have taken place through plans, projects and programs that have created necessary conditions for the arrival and the permanence of soybean in Santarém. The partnership made between Cargill and the Santarém's city hall was responsible for interventions and changes in fragments of urban space. Such actions have been developed to mitigate serious social problems generated by the presence of grains, among them: the extinction of rural communities, the urban periphery and the new demands for municipal services. Although the dynamic of the grains has promoted the densification of the upper circuit through the presence of companies linked to the sector, it cannot be translated as endogenous socio-spatial development, once that connect notably with logical and extraregional interests. On the other hand, the culture of the grains at high scale has affected negatively the lower circuit of the urban economy, exemplified by the fairs of the Association of rural producers of Santarém (ARPS), since in its productive process hits the small production through the chemicals products used in the fields of soybeans and on expropriation of rural areas