Latifundio is a large private rural property, generally used for the production of only one product (monoculture) and aimed at the foreign market.
Large estates also feature large properties in which the land is used below its potential, with little economic and social use.
Large estates are usually owned by only one person, family or company. The concentration of land in Brazil is the cause of social conflicts and inequalities in the countryside.
The term latifundium comes from the Greek words “latus” which means extensive and “fundus” which means farm.
The origin of latifundium in Brazil
The latifundia in Brazil originated during the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese, when the Brazilian territory was divided into large territorial portions called hereditary captaincies.
These captaincies were donated to nobles and soldiers and at that time were already focused on the monoculture of products such as sugar cane, cocoa, and rice.
THE Sesmarias Law, which regulated the occupation of the territory through the hereditary captaincies, is revoked after independence and in 1850 to
Land Law is enacted.The Land Law determined that in order to own land, it was necessary to pay for it. This logic, which prevented access to land by those who did not have resources, remains today.
The impossibility of buying land by a large part of the rural population intensified the land concentration and increased inequalities in the countryside.
There are currently around 5 million families waiting for land to support themselves.
Latifundio according to the Land Statute
The Land Statute, created in 1964, characterized rural properties in concepts such as: latifundium, minifundio, rural property, family property and rural module.
According to this law, there are two classifications of latifundium: by exploitation and by dimension.
- Exploitation latifundium: property that has between 1 and 600 rural modules and that does not have its physical, economic and social potential exploited. It usually has a speculative purpose, that is, appreciation for sale.
- Large estate: a property that exceeds 600 rural modules in the region in which it is located, whether exploited or not.
How much is a rural module worth?
Rural module is a unit of measurement expressed in hectares and which is sufficient to ensure economic stability for the rural producer. The value of the rural module can vary according to the characteristics of each region.
Latifundio and minifundio
According to the Land Statute, the latifundium is a property of an area much larger than that necessary for the economic activities of a family or an area that is economically and socially unexplored.
The minifundio, in turn, is an insufficient area for a family, its definition according to the Land Statute is:
Minifúndio: rural property with an area and possibility lower than those of the family property.
social function of land
The concept of the social function of land was determined in article 186 of the 1988 Constitution, as follows:
Art. 186. The social function is fulfilled when the rural property simultaneously meets, according to criteria and degrees of demand established by law, the following requirements:
I - rational and adequate use;
II - proper use of available natural resources and preservation of the environment;
III - compliance with the provisions that regulate labor relations;
IV - exploitation that favors the well-being of owners and workers.
Based on the idea of the social function of land, large estates can be classified as:
- productive latifundium: latifundium that is operated in accordance with the law and fulfills its social function;
- unproductive latifundium: latifundium that does not fulfill its social function, as it is not exploited for economic and social purposes.
Consequences of latifundium in Brazil
According to data from INCRA (National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform), there are around 228 in Brazil millions of hectares abandoned or producing below their potential, that is, without fulfilling their social function.
On the other hand, there are almost 5 million peasant families waiting for a portion of land to sustain themselves. This situation has as a consequence:
Rural exodus
Rural workers, deprived of their right to land and unable to remain in rural areas, are forced to migrate to large cities in search of work.
In cities, rural workers work in low-skilled and low-paid sectors, live in areas of irregular occupation and in places where basic State services do not reach.
social conflicts over land
The expulsion of rural workers from the countryside and the expansion of large estates resulted in intense conflicts between large landowners and peasants.
According to Pastoral da Terra, only in the states of Pará, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Paraíba and Rondônia in 2018, 28 people were murdered. These victims are indigenous and rural leaders, landless workers, quilombolas, squatters and settled peasants.
To fight for the right to land, in recent decades, organizations of rural workers have emerged, such as the Movement of Rural Workers without Land (MST). The peasantry and these organizations defend agrarian reform as the way to reduce inequalities in the countryside.
What is agrarian reform?
Agrarian reform is a set of measures aimed at reorganizing and improving land distribution in the country so that the social function of land is guaranteed.
According to INCRA, agrarian reform must meet the principles of sustainable development, social justice and increased production. This measure would allow:
- Deconcentrate and democratize the land structure;
- Produce staple foods;
- Generate occupation and income;
- Fighting hunger and poverty;
- Bring public services to the interior of the country;
- Reduce country-city migration;
- Promote citizenship and social justice;
- Diversify commerce and services in rural areas;
- Democratize power structures.
Understand more about the land reform.