Globalized agribusiness and use of territory in the context of financialization: the Cosan Group and the brazilian sugar-energy sector

Abstract

Financialization has facilitated the entry of new actors into Brazilian globalized agribusiness, especially investment funds, private investors, and high-net-worth individuals, who have joined traditional agents in shaping productive dynamics within the national territory, particularly since 2000. Using an empirical example that clearly illustrates this dynamic - the Cosan Group - this research aimed to understand how the uses of territory implemented by this agent have been related to the process of financialization. The analysis indicated that, following its initial public offering (IPO), the Cosan Group pursued strategies to expand its productive activities across Brazilian territory with the purpose of achieving economic growth and financial valuation, a process that was also shaped by state actions providing access to public funds. This process developed a context of diverse socio-spatial implications, which the study examined in relation to the overexploitation of labor and nature, as well as the resulting homogenization of landscapes and territory. It was concluded that the territorial use strategies implemented by the Cosan Group, within the current context of financialization, have been primarily driven by the need for financial valuation, achieved through the territorial expansion of productive activities, with socio-spatial consequences for the places involved.