Pioneer Settlement in South Brazil: The Case of Toledo, Paraná

87 Pages·1974·2.178 MB·English

by  Keith Derald Muller (auth.)

PIONEER SETTLEMENT IN SOUTH BRAZIL:
THE CASE OF TOLEDO, PARANA
PUBLICATIONS OF THE RESEARCH GROUP
FOR EUROPEAN MIGRATION PROBLEMS
XIX
Editor:
Dr. C. Beyer, 17 Pauwenlaan
The Hague, Netherlands
PIONEER SETTLEMENT IN
SOUTH BRAZI L:
THE CASE OF TOLEDO,
PARANA
by
KEITH DERALD MULLER
I I
© 1974 by Martinus Nijhoff. The Hague. Netherlands
All i'tghts reserved. including the right to translate or to
reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form
ISBN-13: 978-90-247-1691-3 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-011-6796-3
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-011-6796-3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES VII
LIST OF FIGURES VII
FOREWORD IX
PREFACE XI
Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1
Pioneer Settlement in Brazil 1
The Focus of the Investigation 3
Population Increases in Parana 5
Migration into West Parana 5
Introduction of the Long-lot 6
The Founding of Toledo 7
The Position of Toledo 9
Chapter II: SETTLERS AND THEIR FARMS 13
Choice of Settlers 13
Individual Isolated Farm Type: Italian Examples 17
Individual Isolated Farm Type: A German Example 20
Individual Isolated Farm Type: Japanese Examples 21
Group Settlement Farm Type: A German Immigrant
Example 24
Conclusion 26
Chapter III: SETTLEMENT FORM AND STRUCTURE IN
TOLEDO 29
Unplanned Settlement 29
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
Planned Settlement 31
Comparison of Square and Long-lot Settlement Forms 34
The Case of Toledo 36
Conclusion 40
Chapter IV: SETTLEMENT SIZE IN TOLEDO: I 42
Data Gathering 42
Sampling 43
The Classification 43
Trends of Ownership Patterns 43
Stages of Settlement 45
Conclusion 48
Chapter V: SETTLEMENT SIZE IN TOLEDO: II 50
Alternatives 50
Objectives 52
Problems Related to Small Farm Size 53
Problems Related to Large Farm Size 54
Steps to Establish the Medium-sized Farm 55
Conclusion 57
Chapter VI: SETTLEMENT FUNCTION: ECONOMIC LIFE IN
TOLEDO 60
Agricultural Equipment 60
Agricultural Economy: Commercial Hogs 61
Agricultural Processing Industries 63
Field Systems: South Brazil 65
Field Systems: Toledo 66
Agricultural Assistance 67
Cooperatives 68
Conclusion 69
Chapter VII: CONCLUSIONS 71
Position of the Colonization Project 71
Selection of Settlers 71
Land Titling 72
Settlement Morphology 72
Settlement Size 73
Settlement Function: Vertical Integration and
Regional Settlement Development 73
LIST OF TABLES
p.
1. Population -- Parana, 1940 -1970 5
2. Precipitation - Porto Mendes, Municipio of Toledo 9
3. Origin of Settlers in Municipios Near Toledo 16
4. Relatedness Among Owners, Toledo 17
5. Sample Farms in Toledo 19
6. Comparison of Square and Long-lot Systems, Random
Area of Toledo 35
7. Settlement Types, Maripa Land Company 40
8. Comparison of Initial and Present Holdings, Perimeter 1 44
9. Comparison of Initial and Present Holdings, Perimeter 30 45
10. Number and Percent of Holdings, by Ownership Classes,
Toledo 46
11. Percent of Area and Holdings, by Ownership Classes,
Groups A and B 47
12. Sources and the Division of Total Farm Labor Force 62
13. Number of Hogs Slaughtered, Sadia - Toledo 64
LIST OF FIGURES
p.
1. Pioneer Zones of Brazil 2
2. Migration Currents into West Parana 4
3. Settlement Types, Maripa Land Company - Toledo 8
FOREWORD
In the period since the end of world War II numerous develop
ing countries have employed colonization, or planned pioneer
settlement, as one method of building a more reliable and bal
anced economy. It is felt that the traditional, single-sided sys
tems of farm ownership and production with their latifundium
and minifundium holdings will gradually and peacefully become
less prominent as better settlement systems are introduced and
extended. Marked increases in population pressure, large tracts
of unused or underused land, and modern improvements in set
tlement planning are among other compelling reasons for star
ting colonization programs.
Of all the areas in the world, the continent of South America
probably has the widest variety of planned pioneer settlements
as well as the most sizeable programs. Brazil, the largest country
on the continent, is actively engaged in populating the vast, emp
ty spaces of its interior, and provides excellent opportunities for
the scholarly investigation of new frontier settlement types. In
addition to the academic discussion of the origin and develop
ment of these expressions of man's expansion into marginal ar
eas, the critical examination of relatively new attempts at land
settlement is a useful thing because what is to be learned from
such studies may be directly applicable to other pioneer zones
and, moreover, may be of vital significance to overall economic
improvement on the continent.
In this monograph, my student, K. Muller, analyzes the South
Brazilian frontier colony of Toledo, Parana, founded in 1946.
This he has done in accordance with the general plan and meth
odology of traditional settlement geography. Therefore, a pri
mary objective of his has been the attempt to explain the inter
dependence between spatial organization and settlement func-
x FOREWORD
tion. Muller has, however, gone beyond theoretical organization
and has effectively combined academic and applied research in
terests. He has been an apt and critical student in the field and
has found some fundamental similarities between successful
settlement phenomena in northeast Argentina where I have
worked and in his area of Brazil. The extent of such similarities
(or differences) can eventually be worked out only by practical
field studies made by people willing to live in such settlements
and partake of their daily life. In cases like this, where limited,
short term statistics are available and detailed quantitative anal
ysis is thus precluded, all the greater is the value of field analy
sis according to the classical principles of settlement geography.
Even in the future, when more complete, long range numerical
data have been recorded, it will still be necessary to employ both
systems in any thorough investigation. Thus, there is no substi
tute for the direct observations upon which Muller has based his
useful and enlightening study.
Robert C. Eidt
Professor of Geography
University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee