"AGRARIAN REFORM" IN THE AMAZON REGION:ASSESSMENT AND PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Brazil's Amazon region has not a true "agrarian reform". Land was essentially colonized rather than redistributed: cheap, new lands were opened for surplus labour from other regions, in a policy that has led to environmental devastation and social conflicts. Settlers on unviable lots have abandoned depleted lands, thereby aggrandizing cattle ranches. While the Cardoso government achieved its goals in terms of numbers of settlers, largery in the Amazon, the high rates of abandoned lots show they were not sustainable. On the other hand, public lands were recovered from land grabbers and transferred to conservation units, and new settlement models were sought to reduce impacts. The Lula government proposes a "quality agrarian reform", together with "forestry settlements" and broad environment policies. While the political will to improve agrarian reform exists neither its funding nor political support for its implementation is certain.