Agricultural and pastoral production in Brazil has always been of great importance, both economically and in the urbanization process. From this statement, it is noted that the Southeast region is not isolated in the process, as it had a large participation in the production for a long time. agricultural (coffee, sugarcane, etc.), these products often held back the Brazilian economy, which was basically limited to production primary.
Over time, agriculture followed the transformations that took place in the industry, and it began to produce equipment, implements, inputs in order to increase productivity and also strengthen the industry of this segment.
In the second half of the 20th century, Brazil entered the process of industrialization by substitution, in addition, foreign capital began to enter Brazil with the arrival of multinationals from various segments, among these were the production of machinery and equipment for rural activity, in the same period also begins the production for export which caused the expansion of cultivated areas, from then on the process of mechanization and modernization of the field.
The increase in productivity led to the emergence of agribusiness (industry linked to agricultural production, eg dairy, weaving, etc.). Modernized production was not restricted to agriculture as animal husbandry has changed, as the animals were being selected, the production of medicines for such animals grew, among others. In the region, beef and milk production and poultry and swine production stand out.
With the modernization and mechanization of the rural space, the Southeast region was, from that moment, characterized by a high level of modernization and productivity, with a large number of small and medium properties, with an immense diversity productive. Rural properties close to major centers in the region are generally small, with the characteristic of producing vegetables and fruits.
Transformations in urban space
The transformations that occurred in the countryside, such as modernization, changed the configuration of urban centers, from rural mechanization workers in this field of activity lost their jobs, resulting in a large flow of rural workers to cities in search of work in industries, a phenomenon called rural exodus. The industrial sector installed in the Southeast region attracted many Northeasterners.
Currently, 92% of the population in the Southeast live in urban centers. The set of factors promoted the urbanization of the region and the expansion of metropolitan areas. In a short time there were major changes in urban landscapes resulting from accelerated urbanization, thus forming metropolitan regions, which is the union of two or more municipalities.
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The vast majority of metropolitan regions are oriented by the location of industries. The seven largest metropolitan regions are in the Southeast region, São Paulo, 17.8 million inhabitants; Rio de Janeiro, 10.8 million; Belo Horizonte, 4.8 million; Campinas, 2.3 million; Vitória and Baixada Santista both with 1.4 million, in Minas Vale do Aço with 560 thousand.
Currently, the world metropolises São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are slowing down the pace of industrial and population growth, now the new trend is for medium-sized cities, as large centers face infrastructure problems, high real estate prices, high taxes and a lot of pollution, migrating industrial activities to smaller centers where activities are located agricultural.
Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography