Sowing the Whirlwind: Soya Expansion and Social Change in Southern Brazil (Cedla Latin American Studies)

These articles represent a multidisciplinary approach to the so-called soya boom in Southern Brazil. This crop has assumed such a dominant position in the agrarian development of the region since the early 1970s that soya has virtually become a metaphor for the profound transition which has taken place there. Old structures of production have been eliminated, with small -scale agricultural producers in particular being driven from their land. The result has been a large measure of social unrest, but at the same time many have also seized new opportunties. Of course, soya has not been the only factor in this process of development, but all the same this crop is the metaphor 'par excellence' to typify the transition. A fascinating aspect of this situation is the fact that a process of this kind is closely connected with developments in the international market in commodities, and in the national market. Without claiming to be comprehensive, this collection of articles is an attempt to throw light on the various aspects of the process of change in the agrarian structure of Southern Brazil within the wider context of international and national developments.