Centralization of capital and regional specialization: the sugarcane industry and labour market in Piracicaba (SP)

Author(s)

Bruno Rezende Spadotto

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Geociências
• Defense date: 2016-02-29

Examining board members

Samuel Frederico; Vicente Eudes Lemos Alves; Vicente Eudes Lemos Alves; Fabricio Gallo

• Advisor: Samuel Frederico

Abstract

The objective of this research is to analyze the consequences of the current centralization of capital in the Brazilian sugarcane industry for the labor market in the city of Piracicaba. During the work, we conducted a literature review on the history of this city and its main economic aspects, aimed performing a periodization of differents geographical environments. We have also examined the formation of production circuit in the city, specialized at sugarcane industry, typifying the different companies of this circuit based on the theory of the two circuits of urban economy. Finally, we analyzed the centralization of capital in the agribusiness segment of the Brazilian sugarcane industry in order to understand their impact on the labor market dependent on this sector in Piracicaba. This average São Paulo State city is historically specialized in producing equipments and services for the referenced sector and since the so-called "2008 crisis", the employability of productive branches, linked to the sugarcane industry, decreased considerably. Thus, we show two central hypotheses that explain the influence of that centralization of capital for productive circuit of equipments and services located in Piracicaba. The first hypothesis is based on the current development of technical-scientific-informational period that overlaps organizational solidarities to organic solidarities of the productive regions. The second central hypothesis addresses the devaluation of constant capital in centralizations that occurs concomitantly on a global economic crisis. Thus, we expect write a "geography of present", a "historical geographical materialism" about the contradictions of the Brazilian sugarcane industry and the vulnerability of employment in the city of Piracicaba (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/04019-8 - Centralization of capital and regional specialization: the sugarcane industry and territorial vulnerability of Piracicaba (SP)
• Grantee: Bruno Rezende Spadotto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master