The Coffee Sector in the South of Minas and in Nepomuceno-MG between the 1950s and 1990s

• Autor(a) principal: Vilas Boas, Lucas Guedes
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Geografia (Londrina)
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/geografia/article/view/40067
• topic: Coffee sector; Sul de Minas; Nepomuceno-MG.; Economía cafetera; Sul de Minas; Nepomuceno-MG.; Cafeicultura; Sul de Minas; Nepomuceno-MG.

Coffee sector gained prominence in the economy in the South of Minas Gerais in the 19th century. In the first half of the 20th century, it became the most relevant economic activity in many municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais. Considering the importance of the coffee sector for the Southern region of Minas and the municipality of Nepomuceno, the article discusses the main elements of its coffee culture between 1950s and 1990s. The methodological procedures adopted were bibliographic research and document analysis. Between the 1950s and 1980s, the Brazilian State, through various agencies, encouraged the modernization of coffee production in the South of Minas Gerais, adherence to the technologic package resulting from the Green Revolution, the replacement of low productivity coffee plantations and the foundation of private cooperatives. Especially from the late 1980s and early 1990s, neoliberal policies came to coffee culture and the state’s role in the sector was diminished. Private Cooperatives started to perform the function previously exercised by the State. Thus, there was an increase in the volatility of coffee prices, mainly affecting small coffee producters.