NORTHEASTERN COMMERCIAL NETWORKS AND THE RUBBERTAPPERS IN THE AMAZON

Abstract

Not denying the domination of the peasants who migrated to the Ama­zon fleeing from the terrible XIX century draughts in northeastern Bra­zil, this paper endeavors to probe through ethnographic and historical data, different extractivism/farming management systems and marke­ting networks,in the light of peasant morality, in order to understand previously acquired dispositions that facilitated the acceptance of the extractive/debt-bond rubber system. Taking the recent formation of a cashew nut management and marketing network in the Lençóis region in Maranhão as a material and the meaning imbued living example of such networks we can trace autonomy preservation strategies in the pro­ductive system adapted to local conditions. Keywords: peasantry, morality, extractive networks, Northeastern Brazil