A questão ambiental e a expansão da fronteira agrícola na direção do Matopiba brasileiro

Incorporate the environmental dimension to the economic analysis and the decision-making of all stakeholders is important to analyse the expansion of agricultural frontier in Brazil. Demand for natural resources and land follows the growth of the economy. In Brazil, the occupation of new areas has secured the supply of land to meet the increasing demand of agriculture. In view of limited natural resources, the sector is facing new challenges to keep the growth of production. It seeks to identify and assess the environment status in the Matopiba. The region comprises the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia, occupying 73 million of the hectares. What makes an agricultural expansion feasible in unproductive lands with low production capacity? The answer is knowledge and technology. Therefore, we can not only evaluate Matopiba by physical and geoclimatic variables without the background management of knowledge and technology. The agricultural potential of Matopiba exists, but it does require investments in science, which can increase the productive potential of this region. The study uses the Geographic Information Systems' tools (GIS) to treat the statistical data. It also analyzes the environmental question, but this region is an important vector of agricultural expansion and local development, which requires investments for minimizing economic and social inequalities, a problem that could be solved by public policies on research and technologies locally adapted.