Development, crises and adaptation of territories in Mato Grosso soy: the example of Sorriso

After the pioneer phase that occurred during the 1970' s and 1980's, the expansion of mechanized agriculture (especially soybean crops) in the Southern part of the Brazilian Amazon basin led to the emergence of new territories integrated in "the world economy". However, low prices, the "Asian rust" (soybean's disease), the climatic variability and the environmental tensions pulled the agricultural sector in a deep crisis between 2004 and 2007. This crisis highlighted the limits of this model of development, well illustrated by the county of Sorriso (first soybean's producing county in Brazil). The producers are now learning from past failures in order to adapt themselves to the new standards imposed by the civil society and the international markets (environmental certification, forest code application, to mention some). Numerous efforts for the intensification and diversification of productions, especially by corn and cotton crops, were done. Furthermore, local sustainability projects based on environmental education and incentives to replantation are being developed. They illustrate the desire of part of the local actors to change the regional way of development.