Conflitos socioterritoriais entre camponeses, latifundiários e agronegócio na microrregião do Alto Pantanal/MT

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the conflicts related to land ownership, access, and control in the Upper Pantanal micro-region, focusing on the municipalities of Cáceres and Poconé in Mato Grosso. The objective is to understand how land appropriation, driven by large estates and agribusiness, generates disputes among peasants, large landowners, and the agribusiness sector. The research is grounded in a theoretical framework that examines the dynamics of power and inequality in rural areas, revealing that land appropriation is the basis for conflicts that can lead to severe social consequences, such as the expulsion of families and the weakening of rural communities. These conflicts are analyzed through the tensions between the concentrating and exclusionary logic of agribusiness and the resistance strategies of peasants. The study highlights manifestations of these dynamics, including the loss of access to basic services, social disintegration, and the increased economic dependence of affected communities. Although the thesis discusses environmental issues, such as the intensive use of agrochemicals, social degradation emerges as the central focus, evidencing the effects of a model that deepens inequality and vulnerability in rural areas. Methodologically, the research adopted a participatory approach, combining in-depth interviews and direct observations of the practices and strategies of peasant communities, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of resistance and the challenges imposed by the hegemony of agribusiness. The results indicate that peasant resistance strategies include social mobilizations, occupations, and the formation of community support networks, which seek to strengthen the autonomy of communities in the face of threats posed by agribusiness and large estates. Although discussions on public policies do not constitute the central axis of this research, the importance of governmental actions to address land concentration, guarantee basic rights, and create dignified conditions for the permanence of families in rural areas is underscored.