CHANGES IN CATTLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF THE AGRICULTURAL FRONTIER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN STATE OF PARÁ

Abstract

Agricultural practices are frequently subject to change, especially in a context of intensive transformation as occurs in agricultural frontier areas. This study analyzed a number of methods whose objective is to understand the process of transformation of agricultural practices. The study started with a regional analysis and concluded with a farming system approach, using a long-term historical perspective. The use of these methods is explained through a study of the evolution of cattle production practices, before the stabilization of the agricultural frontier in Southeastern State of Pará, Brazil. It was shown that there is a trend of higher growth and the search for greater ecological sustainability in livestock production through adaptation and incorporation of technologies. The originality of this study lies in the methodological structure employed, which linked the use of retrospective analysis of changes to the use of a typology of trajectories and historical interviews. The retrospective method allowed the analysis of the transformation both of the farms and the external environment. The historical interviews and the typology clarify, respectively, the regional importance of historical events and the diverse trajectories of the establishments. Finally, emphasis is placed on the importance of understanding the changes as a process, in which not only its beginning and its current situation are relevant, but also the perception of its constant movement.