Study of the evolution of the frontier in the central western area of Mato Grosso

Abstract

Following the national strategy of regional occupation,
colonization projects initiated both by the Brazilian government
and private companies played a major role in the process of
deforestation and development of the State of Mato Grosso in the 1970’s, especially in the municipios of Tangará da Serra,
Diamantino and Campo Novo do Parecis. The effective
colonization of Tangará da Serra began in 1966 with the
installation of the first pioneers of the SITA, Sociedade Imobiliária Tupã para Agricultura. At this time, 3-4 million coffee-plants were set over 3000 ha in 500 minifundios. But rapidly grasslands took the place of coffee trees. Since 1970-75, major private companies settled as well in the central western area of Mato Grosso : this process involved the expansion of crops such as soybean, maize and cotton in the cerrados of the Chapada dos Parecis and stock breeding in areas of forest and older settlements. Satellite images
allow us to monitor and understand the evolution of rural
landscapes through the various colonization phases.