A PEQUENA MINERAÇÃO DO NORDESTE: SUAS CARACTERÍSTICAS E O PAPEL DO ESTADO

Abstract

The paper analyses the small scale mining in Northeast Brazil examining its mechanisms of articulation and reproduction within an increasingly oligopolized sector which is very much subject to fluctuations on demand and supply. It stresses the role of the state in supporting an activity which is strategic for the Northeastern semi-arid region: it creates jobs exactly in the dry season. The state, for instance, can form buffer stocks or research alternative uses for the minerals through technological development apart of providing credit and stimulating the organization of small miners. It also examines the dynamic and structure of small scale mining in Northeast and the perspectives opened by the new technologies.