Zona de conflitos: o agronegócio da soja e a formação da esfera pública em Corta-Corda, Santarém, Pará.

Abstract

The present study identifies and discusses current social conflicts in the community of Corta- Corda, located 80 km from Santarém, Pará State in Northern Brazil, that have arisen due to the recent expansion of the agricultural frontier of large-scale soybean cultivation in the region. In addition, the study analyzes the role of the government in this process, as well as identifying the social actors involved in these conflicts and possible solutions for their needs and aspirations. Based on field work and examination of the pertinent literature, a questionnaire was designed and used to interview rural dwellers and other key social groups. Additionally, techniques included direct observation, interviews, audiovisual recordings, and the examination of maps and satellite images. These resources allowed us to verify the existence of potential social conflicts, that is, conflicting situations in which violence was not manifested even though it might be implied. Such potential conflicts still inflict significant changes to the rural dwellers’ like-style. The solution foreseen for the situation in Corta-Corda is the formation of discussion forums, mediated by elements of local or national civil society, in which the actors can express their situations and seek consensual legal settlements to conflicts that stem from the expansion of the soybean agricultural frontier.