Cocoa exports, economic growth and regional development in the South of Bahia, 1965-1980 (EXPORTAÇÃO DE CACAU, CRESCIMENTO E DESENVOLVIMENTO REGIONAL NO SUL DA BAHIA 1965-1980)

This article aims at analysing the effects of cocoa exports for the growth and development of the cocoa region in Bahia during the 1965-1980 period. In this regard, this article, based on Schwartzman's proposition for a regional growth and development strategy from an export base, examines three important aspects related to this primary product: a) its consolidation, in which the main factors are the production, transfer and processing costs; b) its dynamism; and c) its propagation. These two last items take into consideration, in addition to the production costs, the demand for cocoa, the regional income distribution; the diversification as well as the linkages effects of cocoa. The article concludes that the cocoa region in Bahia succeeded in consolidating its export base, but it was not able to make it dynamic and consequently the regional development could not happen in the long term