O circuito inferior da economia urbana em Montes Claros-MG: Nexos campo-cidade e redes tecidas a partir do mercado municipal e das feiras livres

Abstract

The study evaluated how agents linked to the tertiary sector compose what is known as the lower circuit of the urban economy in Montes Claros, the main urban center in the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais. The lower circuit of the urban economy, as defined by Milton Santos since the 1970s, is still characterized today by production, marketing, or service activities that are low in capital intensity, where technological objects are generally scarce, marked by labor-intensive work (often relying on family labor) and typically characterized as simple and traditional activities of the urban economy that are highly dependent on and tied to the local context. In Montes Claros, we assessed the expression of this lower circuit of the urban economy, particularly through the trade of agro-food products (either fresh or processed) in two different traditional commercial forms in the municipality – the Municipal Market and two open-air markets located in the Major Prates and São José neighborhoods. These commercial forms are still largely responsible for supplying the population, especially those with lower purchasing power (another aspect of the lower circuit). Thus, the research aimed to understand both how work is organized within the lower economy and the relationships woven between rural and urban areas, as well as between merchants and rural producers for the commercialization of food products, along with the geographical networks resulting from the flows established from the Market and the two assessed fairs. To achieve this, the research sought to capture not only the profile of the merchants involved in these activities but also the role of rural producers in the circuit. A qualitative methodology was employed, combining bibliographic and documentary surveys, field research, and the application of questionnaires to merchants and rural producers. The results indicate a strong link between the agents of the lower circuit of the economy and the commercial spaces they activate, as well as the proximity and dependency established with a highly localized agro-food production in nearby areas (within the municipality or its surroundings). Through the traditional and undercapitalized practices of the lower circuit, a set of fundamental connections to the local economy is established, with the capacity to trigger and establish broader networks that connect production and agents from other areas, thus revealing its strength, even to this day. Despite the scarcity of material resources and the lack of attention from public policies, this lower circuit, through the evaluated commercial forms, plays an important role in the local urban economy, generating jobs and income, as well as supporting the consumption of poorer segments of the population. Therefore, with a different consideration from the public authorities, it could gain even greater importance, strengthening both the local field and the tertiary activities in Montes Claros.