Peasantry and neoextractivism in São Paulo: dynamics and conflicts of the sugar-energy industry in the region of Ribeirão Preto

Abstract

This research has investigated the productive dynamics of the sugarcane agribusiness and its effects on the social reproduction of peasant groups in the administrative region of Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, an important territory hegemonized by sugarcane, which has been the stage of several agrarian conflicts in the state. To pursue this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with representative agents for the topic at hand, as well as field visits and analysis of secondary data. Using a historical-dialectical paradigm, the aim of this article is to demonstrate that in the region in question, an intensive, predatory neoextractivist activity is located, led by the sugarcane sector which, in its production logic, disrupts and hinders peasant production and social reproduction. The conclusions indicate that, even outside frontier zones, there have been severe impacts on local peasant groups, resulting in dispossession, land concentration, and conflicts of various kinds.