Regional and Urban Development Under the Signs of Globalization: The Soybean Complex and the City of Agribusiness in Mato Grosso

Abstract

Since the 1960s, the integration of local economic activities into global structures has fostered a continuous increase in the production of cash crops in Brazil. This has led to a far-reaching transformation of formerly peripheral regions. Given their wide range of uses, soybeans are a prime example of flex crops, which are becoming ever more important in global agribusiness. Soybean cultivation stands out as the main cause of widespread land use changes in many South American regions. The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is one of the world’s most important soy-growing regions, leading to controversial socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Drawing on the case of Sinop, the “City of Agribusiness,” and its surrounding region, this article analyzes the complex territorial manifestations of global soybean production networks. We illustrate both the actor networks of agro-industrial soy production, as well as their functional interconnectedness and institutional embeddedness. Finally, we point out growing social-ecological problems caused by the ongoing soy boom. In doing so, the global production network approach offers great explanatory power for understanding global-local interdependencies and interactions.