The Economic Consequences of the Agricultural Expansion in Matopiba

Resumo

This paper examines the causes and consequences of the agricultural expansion in Matopiba (Brazil). It documents that agricultural expansion in this region is concentrated in municipalities in the Cerrado biome. Since the late 1990s, these municipalities experience larger increases in agricultural production than municipalities outside the biome. Thes municipalities also experience larger increases in GDP per capita and in the share of households with access to durable goods and to electricity over this period. These results suggest that agricultural expansion in Matopiba is associated with geographic factors and lead to improvements in economic development.