Banco da Terra como novo instrumento de reforma agrária: a experiência recente do Estado da Paraíba.

Abstract

In Brazil the unfair land distribution has been a reason of social struggle, which focuses on the attempt of sorting it out. Researchers have been committed in promoting policies to either solve the matter, or reduce it. In 1998, the Brazilian Government initiated a new land reform program The "Fundo de Terras e da Reforma Agrária - Banco da Terra" (Land Fund and Land Reform) is intended to buying land through direct negotiations between proprietors and beneficiaries This is known as the Market-Assisted Land Reform. The main goal of this work is to study this new land reform tool, highlighting some of its operating aspects in the State of Paraíba. In order to do so, we had to do reserches on books, textbooks, articles, reports, internet sites, etc. We also attended meetings at local labor syndicates, visited some locations where the program is in place, and interviewed personnel concerned, at Secretaria do Banco da Terra e do INCRA, in Paraiba. We noticed that the unfair land distribution system is a historical issue in Brazil but, along time, it has shown new elements, enhancing the subject under discussion. As a matter of fact, when it comes to solving the land distribution point, very little concrete measure have been achieved to overcome the situation. Banco da Terra comes up from a macroeconômica!and neoliberal context by the government of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. In brief, it hands over to the market the task of solving this historical problem. In Paraíba, the program was implemented in 2000. However, we could detect some negative results in its performance. The land price has become more expensive, and, in cooperation with other instalments, it dismantles the organized struggle that the Landless have towards land. Moreover, everything indicates that most of the beneficiaries will not be able to pay off the acquired financing debts. Even though, in contrast to what we used to believe, this is still not the main concern regarding land distribution in Paraíba. At present, Banco da Terra does not seem to be a good alternative, especially for regions that suffer from weather difficulties, as the Northeast does It is not the goal of the Bank to either correct an unfair and historical process or ensure means of providing a better life to the beneficiaries. In other words, it is a program that is maintained, managed and directed to the market