Campesinato, cooperativismo e economia solidária: análise das cooperativas agroextrativistas na região sul do Maranhão

Abstract

This work is an analysis of the agro-extractives cooperatives in the cities of São Raimundo Mangabeiras Loreto and located in the southern region of Maranhão. The intriguing research question refers to the historical process: paths, struggles, achievements and challenges of cooperatives. For this it was necessary to understand the process and changes in cooperatives face a whole and consequent contradiction. In these terms we use critical theory to understand the dialectical movement and transformations in the path of cooperatives. Wherefore in addition to an extensive documentary research for historical analysis, the research took a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with the public involved in cooperatives. The theoretical references that guided the work and contemplate the concepts and debates on peasantry and its relationship with capitalism (KAUTSKY; CHAYANOV; SHANIN; MENDRAS; GUZMAN & MOLINA) and cooperative and solidarity economy, categories worked in the same chapter to understand the differentiations between business cooperatives and cooperatives authentic, and second to analyze the limits of solidarity economy as a distinct category of generalized cooperative organizations, associations or informal groups. (Chayanov; FLEURY; SINGER, GERMER). In this way, throughout the paper we analyze the Brazilian agriculture and agrarian issues in its production, family or employers, ie, how it configures currently in Brazil, Maranhão and in the southern region. We also analyze the origin of the cooperative in Maranhão, the formation of cooperatives agroextractivist and implementation of small projects to support the production, processing and marketing of peasant agriculture. Ultimately identify new characters coming ensuring playback of cooperative agro-extractives in Loreto and São Raimundo Mangabeiras, but it shows very weak before the advance of the agricultural frontier. So consider then that cooperatives agro-extractives are integrated to a total contradiction with social, political, economic and environmental several that oppress the peasant cooperatives, but on the other hand has been an instrument of socio-economic organization of the peasants.