ACCESS AND CONTROL OF LAND IN THE TIMBER INDUSTRY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN BRAZIL AND CANADA

• Grant number: 24/13619-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Geography - Human Geography
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Paulon Girardi
• Grantee: Amanda Emiliana Santos Baratelli
• Supervisor: Wilder Robles
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Brandon University, Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/09749-3 - Land-capital alliance on a globalized scale: the expansion of eucalyptus monoculture and pulp production in the municipality of Três Lagoas (MS), BP.DR

Abstract

The globalization of commodity agriculture has consolidated monopoly companies in some sectors, among which forestry timber production stands out. This activity requires large tracts of land. In Brazil, the land on which tree plantations are established is privately owned and, therefore, the movement to acquire land to grow trees takes place between companies and landowners, which is the central theme of the doctoral thesis to which this BEPE proposal is linked. In the case of Canada, the main landowner is the state, which grants concessions for timber extraction via lease/sale. In the case of Brazil and Canada, the state also acts as an incentive for these companies, acting financially, legally, environmentally and ideologically. These facilities granted by the state allow for the realization of the capitalist unit, because landowners and companies form the land-capital pact. For this reason, the aim of the internship in Canada is to understand the land issue related to timber production in that country, with a focus on the realization of land rent and conflicts, comparing the Canadian case with the Brazilian case. The research will make it possible to understand how the land-capital alliance occurs in the wood and pulp production process in a developed country at the center of world capitalism. Understanding the Canadian case will allow us to delve deeper into the Brazilian case, as it will be a comparative reference for a better understanding of the sector's strategies. From a methodological point of view, bibliographical reviews will be carried out on the case of Canada; data will be collected on access to public and private land by logging companies; provincial legislation will be analyzed and fieldwork will be carried out in the main areas where the logging sector operates.