Landless Movement's Role in Latin American Agribusiness

On Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 an investigation of Brazil’s largest autonomous not-for-profit agricultural entity ended inconclusively. The Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) is a prominent social movement of low-income farming families that export agricultural goods to countries like the USA, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Norway, and Mexico.

MST has been under investigation since May after being accused of unlawful land occupation by its political opposers. In light of this scenario, we’re taking a brief look at the MST’s history and some of its impact on agriculture’s political climate.

Agriculture in Latin America: A Geographic Context

The exact number of countries that are considered a part of Latin America may change depending on the criteria, but from Honduras to Chile, the region includes roughly 21 countries from North, Central, and South America, with vastly different cultural and geographical landscapes. When it comes to land, some countries stand out from the rest.

Brazil, the only Portuguese-speaking country in the region, occupies an interesting position: while the language barrier culturally isolates it from its Hispanic cousins, it is the country that shares the most land borders in the Americas, with 10 different neighbors. They occupy 47% of South America’s land area, making them the fifth largest country in the world (about 86% as big as the USA, which takes fourth place on the list).

As brands think about the politics and accessibility of food consumption in the country - or even consider breaking into its agriculture or food market - they must not only be familiar with the field - but also know the main players and what it means to work with them.

Contrary to what some believe, not all that land is made up of rainforest (primarily occupied by native populations, small urban communities, or not populated at all). Over half of the country’s land is made of different climates, including desert and prairie-like ecosystems. This rich landscape puts Brazil in a very strong position for agriculture.

Because of that, the South American giant has a leading agricultural sector and is a major global exporter of commodities like coffee (ranked #1 global producer for about a century), grains, and fruit. Brazil is also a global leader in the livestock industry and holds the title of the largest beef exporter worldwide by a wide margin.

Conflict in the Field: The Tumultuous Sociopolitical Climate of Agriculture

While agriculture and livestock clearly represent significant contributors to the country’s economy, not all is peaceful when it comes to how that production is handled. Reports from the Brazilian branch of Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief) show that the top 1% of rural landowners own almost half of all productive land in the country.

Of that, a large portion is estimated to be unused (i.e., owned by a company that isn’t farming on it); however, no available data indicates the exact percentage. In some instances, the arrival of agricultural corporations with large farming machinery coincides with the intensification of social inequality in those communities.

Photo by: Cristiano Mariz. Location: Marias da Terra Settlement - Brasília

This disproportionate land ownership isn’t recent news, and has historically triggered turmoil in the fields. In the 1980s, shortly after the end of the military dictatorship, a group of landless fieldworkers from across the country, motivated by the political climate of democratization at the time, got organized and created the MST: Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (Landless Rural Workers’ Movement).

They had the goal of promoting land reform and redistribution in Brazil - which, unlike in the US, had not happened after the end of slavery in the late 19th century. Created as an autonomous movement (meaning it is not officially affiliated with any parties or organizations), the MST aims to occupy idle private lands with impoverished farmer families who work to produce food to feed themselves and export what is left. Over the last 40 years, the movement also began to include the promotion of agroecology (sustainable farming) in its objectives.

The Friends and Foes of the MST

MST’s history is controversial. Since its birth, the movement has been a pivot of armed conflicts in the countryside and made several political enemies. That includes former president Jair Bolsonaro, who promised to try and end the MST and called the movement a terrorist organization.

They also receive animosity from Brazil’s “ruralist front,” a large parliament section comprised of politicians affiliated with powerful agricultural businesses. On the other hand, they count on unofficial political alliances, including the current presidential administration.

Despite its troubled record, the MST has managed to retain relevancy in the country’s economic landscape. Among their achievements is securing the spot of largest non-pesticide rice producer in all of Latin America - although the magnitude of that production is hardly comparable to the pesticide-containing counterpart. Still, its products are used to feed not only the working families themselves but also reach places from local public schools to European markets.

Although it’s often seen with a dim view by many Brazilian agribusiness enterprises, the movement still keeps friendly ties with various organizations and cooperatives. In 2021, they decided to break into the capital market for the first time, raising millions of dollars from investors to revert back into the production of various goods like sugar, corn, dairy, grains, and coffee by small local farming communities.

Legitimate or not, this controversial movement continues to play a pivotal role in addressing issues of land inequality, food production, and sustainable farming - and all discourse around it - both locally and internationally. Despite facing criticism from various parties, the MST has remained a significant force in advocating for land reform and ecological practices over its history.

Finally, the recent inconclusive investigation into the MST occupation practices gives us an example of the complex political and financial landscape of agriculture in Latin America, particularly in Brazil. As brands think about the politics and accessibility of food consumption in the country - or even consider breaking into its agriculture or food market - they must not only be familiar with the field - but also know the main players and what it means to work with them.