Expansão da produção agropecuária no Cerrado Mineiro: análise da mesorregião do Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba a partir da década de 1990

Abstract

The Cerrado is one of the most important regions for Brazilian agribusiness, and the Triângulo Mineiro/Alto Paranaíba region has played a significant role in the expansion of agriculture since the 1970s. Thus, the objective of this work is to analyze the transformations in agricultural production in the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba regions of the Cerrado, which have been, and continue to be, pioneers in the expansion and consolidation of the national agricultural sector. The hypothesis to be tested is that this region has an increasing trend in agricultural production at both the state and national levels. To this end, bibliographic, documentary, and IBGE data analyses were conducted to understand changes in agricultural production in the region. Recent changes in the distribution of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture are analyzed at the national, state, and mesoregional levels, as well as the expansion of planted area and number of establishments in these regions. The agricultural products that stood out the most were those that are part of important agro-industrial chains, such as soybeans, sugarcane, corn, sorghum, and coffee, which are geared toward the international market or more dynamic national markets. The results confirm the research hypothesis.