Brazilian cerrado agricultural border dynamics: policy and environmental implications

Abstract

We aim to review how the process of occupation and consolidation of the agricultural frontier in the Brazilian Cerrado occurred, as well as to verify the environmental impact of the productive systems in this region and to indicate the contribution of the public policies to the agrarian advance of this Biome. The expansion of the agricultural frontier in the Cerrado Biome began in the 1960s as an alternative to the growth of the Brazilian economy. The search for economic improvement, provided economic growth, however, generated social exclusion and environmental degradation. The changes in landscapes and the threat status of many Cerrado species led to the emergence of conservation initiatives by the government. What is expected of this biome is that strategies and initiatives that contribute to rural progress must broaden development objectives to encompass not only economic growth but also environmental aspects.

Keywords

• brazilian savannah
• landscape change
• agriculture.