Das estratégias às justificações : uma análise da construção política do Protocolo Agroambiental Paulista

Abstract

This research has as the object of its study the political construction of the Protocolo Agroambiental Paulista, a regulation established by UNICA and by Secretarias do Meio Ambiente e de Agricultura e Abastecimento do estado de São Paulo in the year 2007. The proposal of this regulation consisted in “adjusting the behavior” of the sugar-ethanol sector in face of a range of opposing arguments, especially in relation to the burning of cane fields in São Paulo, as brought up by public opinion. It was noticed that, strategically, this was not only a way of reverting the image of social-environmental degradation that is usually attributed to the production of sugarcane, but also such regulation would favor a diminishment of the criticisms raised against this sector. As so, the production of Ethanol was supported for it being a green type of fuel, but without fully breaking the logic of monoculture. The relationship between the State, the economy, the environment and society turned out to be fruitful to accomplish the goal of this research, which was to interpret the political construction of such protocol positioning the statements and absence of social groups and sectors that would be directly interested in the signing of such document. The hypothesis raised here, which was verified, is that the Protocolo Agroambiental would contribute to the maintenance of the burning of the cane fields in São Paulo. This investigation and its conclusions were possible through a methodology that favored a qualitative approach of social research, including bibliographical research, document analysis as well as a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with the main interest agents of this research.