Abstract

This paper presents evidence that the production of some basic food crops in
Brazil is characterized by singular technical and social features vis-à-vis other food and export
crops. After proposing an analysis of this differentiated production structure, the paper
goes on to argue that these food production’s singularities have the consequences of: 1)
making the share of labor cost in total unit cost higher in the production of these food crops;
and 2) producing a negative impact of economic growth upon food supply, due to the improved
employment opportunities in the urban and rural labour markets. An implication of
this analysis is the attribution of lesser emphasis on the inter-relationship food/export crops
within agriculture, in favor of a greater emphasis on the inter-relationship of food production/
overall labor market conditions.

JEL Classification: Q11; Q13; Q17; F14.