ANALYSIS OF LABOR RELATIONS IN BRAZILIAN AGRIBUSINESS: MECHANISMS FOR INSERTION INTO PRODUCTION CIRCUITS

Abstract

This article, drawing on initial data from doctoral research, analyzes the consequences of the integration of Brazilian agribusiness into global productive circuits for labor relations in the countryside during the first decades of the 21st century. Starting from a global scenario marked by financialization, transnational corporate control, and technological innovation, the study examines how this integration has reconfigured the sector. The analysis, based on a critical bibliographic review and secondary data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) – specifically the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) and the Continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD Contínua) – demonstrates that integration occurred mainly through: (i) global value chains, which specialized the country in commodity production; (ii) financialization, with the growing influence of speculative capital; and (iii) the dominance of multinational corporations over strategic links. In response, the sector adopted Industry 4.0 technologies ("Agro 4.0"), consolidating its position as an export powerhouse. However, this modernization has generated contradictory impacts on the world of work. A reduction in the percentage of workers employed in the "agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture" group is observed, reflecting the pressure for competitiveness and automation. The conclusion is that the trajectory of globalized agribusiness has forged a dual model: on one side, technological modernity and wealth generation; on the other, precariousness, a reduction in formal employment, and the deepening of regional and social asymmetries. The study highlights the need to reconcile economic efficiency with the guarantee of decent work and social inclusion.