MATOPIBA: análise do uso da terra e a produção agrícola

Over the last decades, Brazil has become one of the global leaders in agriculture production. Factors contributing to such results include natural resources availability, favorable climate conditions, agricultural research, producer and agroindustry entrepreneurship and governmental policies towards the agricultural sector. The region known as MATOPIBA (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia), in the North/Northeast of Brazil, has become an important agriculture frontier. This paper analyzed the agriculture expansion in the region and the land use change trajectories. By studying land use factors along other geospatial datasets, it’s possible to gain a better understanding of the processes related agriculture in MATOPIBA, such as expansion, retraction, transition and intensification, helping establish public policies for the region. In the last decade, soy and corn production rose from 6 to 14 million tons. However, it’s important to guarantee that the agriculture expansion in the region happens with sustainability in mind.