Qual é a parte que cabe deste latifúndio? Uma análise da estrutura fundiária na bacia hidrográfica do Riacho do Pontal-PE

Abstract

Latifundium refers to a large area of underutilized or uncultivated rural land, commonly found in the Northeast region of Brazil characterized by excessive land concentration. This article analyzes the dynamics of land structure in Northeast Brazil within the watershed of Riacho do Pontal-PE, a tributary of the São Francisco River basin in the Brazilian semiarid region. The study is based on land cover and land use data from 1985 to 2020 and estimates of Brazilian Fiscal Module (MF) data obtained from the National Rural Cadastre System (SNCR), employed in the Gini coefficient calculated from the Lorenz Curve. The main results of the land use analysis indicate that agricultural and pasture areas have occupied approximately one-third (31.42%) of the Pontal watershed in recent years, largely related to irrigated agriculture. The region around Petrolina-PE exhibits a high concentration of land owned by large estate holders. The Gini coefficient highlights that in municipalities like Afrânio-PE and Dormentes-PE, the characteristic is that of small estates. It is evident that from 1985 to 2020, there has been a shift from Caatinga areas in the Riacho do Pontal watershed to regions of irrigated agriculture. The conclusion drawn from this analysis of land structure is that there is a concentration profile towards large estates.