Sugar Cane as a Promoter of Development: The Cases of Quirinópolis and Uberaba

The importance of the sugar-energy sector in Brazil is historic, dating from the time of colonization, and later walking side by side with the development of the country. Also, it is one of the mainstays of the Brazilian economy. The sector has a strong impact as a wealth generator for the nation, with a balance of US$ 28.2 billion in 2008, which was equivalent to approximately 2% of Brazil's GDP. This value is greater than the GDP of some countries such as Afghanistan, Jamaica and Estonia. Financial transactions and generation of wealth of a sector are fundamental to the economic development of a municipality. Moreover, an economically developed city has better conditions to promote its social development. Based on this, this study aims to make an analysis from economic, social and strategic perspective, enabling to show the economic, social and environmental benefits that the sugar-energy activity brought to regions where they settled, describing how the arrival of new plants has spurred economic, environmental and social activity of a region. This paper studied the case of the municipality of Quirinopolis (GO) and Uberaba (MG), through a qualitative research, using the techniques of documentary analysis and in-depth interviews. The development of Quirinopolis and Uberaba was evident in recent years and this is due to the arrival of sugar-energy industries in the municipalities and in the region. Generation of jobs, income distribution and the transformation of real “rural slums” with high rates of degraded pastures and insipient income generation, to a role of genuine agricultural enterprises and environmental benefits are undeniable. However, the lack of information access creates distortion of the image of a sector that is still connected to the image of sugar cane lords and burnings, which is also a sector that still has much to offer to the population and that should be encouraged.