ABSTRACT
A central feature of the contemporary settlement of the Brazilian Amazon is the simultaneous expansion into the region of capitalist enterprises and peasant farmers. The dual character of the frontier is, to a large extent, a consequence of the development policies adopted by the state. Speculators, cattle ranchers, and other interest groups that compete for land on the frontier pose a constant threat to the small farmer. The chapter discusses the way in which the social relations of production that emerge on the frontier, and the manner in which different forms of production are articulated, are conditioned by such factors as the role of the state, the degree of social conflict, and the relative supply of labor. Legal rights to land in newly settled areas are notoriously confused, especially in the initial stages of an expanding frontier. The concentration of landholdings on the frontier permits capitalist accumulation in several ways.
