Abstract

DORNER, Stefan; OLIVEIRA, Thiago  and  SCHNEIDER, Mirian. Maranhão: a comparison of the competitiveness of cotton (1755-1970) and soy (since 1980) cycles. GOT [online]. 2019, n.16, pp.125-152. ISSN 2182-1267.  https://doi.org/10.17127/got/2019.16.006.

The economic cycles of cotton and soy may be denominated as the most important in economic history of Maranhão, state in the Northeast of Brazil, which has always emphasized production and export of primary goods. Thus, this paper analyzes both cycles and its competitiveness related to technological and productive, institutional and organizational environment, by using bibliographical research, direct observation and field research, such as the application of interviews. Although the cotton cycle persisted for 215 years, its existance was more favoured by external additional demand than by the capacity of its actors to innovate. In contrast, soy production and processing, operating for 40 years, has been developed an innovative environment, enforced by its own actors and their capacity, probably persisting for the next decades.

Keywords : Cotton; Soy; Economy; Maranhão.

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