AMAZON TRANSITION - CERRADO: AGRICULTURAL FRONTIER AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE STATE OF MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL

Objective: The present study aimed to demonstrate the relevance of agribusiness and highlight sustainable development actions in the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, in the center-north of the state of Mato Grosso, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Theoretical framework: This topic sought to contemplate the aspects of sustainable food production, in a holistic view that minimizes environmental impacts, in order to stimulate sustainable management, efficient use of resources and inputs in the various sustainable economic activities. Method: Theoretical framework on the subject, research based on Web of Science and Google scholar, tabulation of data and elaboration of a table with sustainable initiatives and a map of the location of the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone. Results and conclusion: In parallel to the large-scale agro-export production mode, several initiatives of agroecological production, natural extractivism, integration between forest, crops and livestock were identified in the research using techniques that seek environmental sustainability and sustainable local development in the region of the study. Implications of the research: In line with the environmental theme, the study presents and discusses relevant initiatives in society associating agribusiness and sustainable development. Originality/value: Preparation of an unprecedented map of the municipalities of Mato Grosso that are located in the transition zone of the Amazon - Cerrado biomes and a table with organizations, activities and sustainable actions developed in the transition area and respective associations with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, with a discussion on proactive activities aimed at developing the region in focus.


INTRODUCTION
The technical aspects of public policy related to the environment have been discussed with more emphasis since the 1970s, focusing on ways of exploitation around the world, considering the economy from the perspective of sustainability.In this sense, the arguments necessarily went through guiding guidelines and actions that could mitigate the impacts generated by progress at the global level.
It is estimated that the world population will be 9.8 billion, 29% more than the current number and in developing countries the growth will be higher (UN, 2019).In this scenario, 70% of the population will be urban and income levels will be higher than the current ones, "to feed this larger, urban and rich population, food production should increase by 70% and Brazil will become the main supplier to respond to the increase in global demand for commodity imports" (FAO, 2017).
In food production, the use of tropical forests and climate issues are closely linked.From this perspective, research, studies and institutions in the world are trying to understand the risks to the affected ecosystems and to present more sustainable alternatives.Foley et al. (2011), among other authors, emphasize that agriculture is significantly increasing CO2 emissions from deforestation, reducing biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Farming accounted for about 74% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 in Brazil, according to data from the System of Estimates of Emissions and Removals of Greenhouse Gases (SEEG, 2023).Consequently, it is necessary to create an index to measure the benefits of reducing these emissions (Searchinger et al., 2018).The constant increase in these gases can dramatically change the climate, according to a recent report by the IPCC -Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that assesses the possibility of profound climate change (Ditlevsen & Ditlevsen, 2023).
The advance in the use of tropical forests and the increase in emissions may bring humanity closer to undesirable limits to our planet.By the year 2050 estimates have shown that 4 environmental effects could increase by 50-90%, making it necessary to mitigate these externalities (Springmann et al., 2018).Therefore, technological innovations should be used to generate efficient systems related to planting, more heat-resistant crops, efficiency of collection, recycling and irrigation systems as has been happening in the United States (Ausubel, 1991).
Food demand tends to increase due to the increase in population and income in the world (Searchinger et al., 2018).Food availability will need to double in the next 25 years, so it is necessary to resort to more than 1,700 gene banks, plant breeding, and creole seeds that are more resilient and help reduce food insecurity with environmental sustainability (McCouch et al., 2013).
Sustainable development is a prerequisite for food production.In the Amazon forest, despite the income for local communities being relatively low, the environmental gains are considerable (Silva et al., 2016).It is possible to impact the local and global economy with actions with some technological limitation, such as the exploitation of babassu, cupuassu and Brazil nuts (Nobre et al., 2016).Along these lines, an initiative that takes place in Africa (Ghana), shows that agriculture provides 60% of the average rural family income, forest 38% and activities outside the farm only 2% (Appiah et al., 2009).
Climate variability from land use changes can cause irreversible damage to local and continental climate (Marengo et al., 2018).In the eastern Amazon region, it has already observed a decrease in land cover, an increase in local air temperature and other factors linked to agricultural expansion (Sampaio et al., 2007).However, some measures can contribute to the preservation of the Amazon forest: abandon the use of fire, invest in fire prevention, respect environmental laws and restrict agricultural expansion (Nepstad et al., 2008).
From this perspective, the objective of the present study was to demonstrate the relevance of agribusiness and evidence sustainable development actions in the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, in the north-central state of Mato Grosso, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG/UN).
The theme discussed in this research encompasses from the spheres of public and private institutions, as well as community actions that develop sustainable activities.In this sense, highlight the magnitude of agribusiness and ways to alleviate the impact caused to the environment of the study area.

THEORETICAL FRAME
The analysis of the conditions for preserving ecosystems is of fundamental importance to humanity.Producing food is essential, as is the maintenance of biomes and their transition zones that constitute the unique biodiversity of the planet, such as the biomes of the Amazon and Cerrado.Sustainable development in these regions is necessary for Brazil, other nations around the world and local communities to enjoy production and extraction according to the capacity of the environment.

AGRIBUSINESS IN MATO GROSSO STATE
The state of Mato Grosso, which since colonial times was considered an exotic territory, being isolated from the coastal regions of Brazil, began to undergo socio-economic transformations from the 1930s with state policies of territorial integration (Ioris, 2017).This process intensifies with the period of military governments between the years 1964 to 1985 with actions that took agriculture to the Midwest and the Amazon region.
For the success of the model of occupation, both national and international companies were attracted to the state, as well as small farmers from the states of the southern region of Brazil, who saw an opportunity for economic recovery.Thus, the state of Mato Grosso has become a haven for private colonization enterprises, which culminated in the origin of the cities in the north of the state, which today dominate the production and export of agricultural commodities (Ioris, 2017).
Agricultural activity is the main driver of the economy of the state of Mato Grosso.To this end, the financing of production is of fundamental importance, as a function of the high levels of productivity required and the proportion of the sector's technological scale (Vieira Filho;Gasques, 2023).
The financing of agribusiness in Mato Grosso can be divided into three periods, as follows: i) 1970 to 1980 characterized by strong state participation; ii) 1980 to 1990 characterized by instability due to the transition of macroeconomic policy; iii) involved greater financial complexity due to the growing Brazilian neoliberalization from the 1990s that is the new globalized model of agricultural capitalism (Ioris, 2016).
The agribusiness consolidated itself in the region and established a complex agroindustrial chain that permeates the development of a large part of the municipalities of the state of Mato Grosso.Exports of commodities such as soybeans, cotton and corn virtually In this context, in 1991, about 56% of our exports to the Chinese were iron ore and soybean oil, imported from that country low-trade-value final consumer goods, initiating a new pattern of trade between these nations.Between 2004 and 2013 there was an expansion of trade flows from $9 billion to $80 billion.
Our Chinese imports came to be mainly of electronic products, and 75% of exports were of iron ore, soybeans, cellulose and petroleum (Wilkinson et al., 2016).In this way, we have become important suppliers of food and raw material for the industrial growth of China, and the agribusiness of Mato Grosso is positioned as the largest national producer and exporter, reflecting in the solid local socio-economic development from the 2000s onwards.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
The concept of sustainable development is dynamic and always needs to be under discussion, especially in academic circles, to overcome difficulties in its interpretation.New terms emerge, such as the Circular Economy, which relates more to questions of economic prosperity (Kirchherr et al., 2017).Also the definition on sustainability of restoration or environmental degradation processes needs better interpretation (Ostrom, 2009).Discussion on the topic is essential, since the world increasingly needs to combine environmental preservation and reduction of food insecurity (Godfray et al., 2010).
In the context of sustainable development, the Stockholm Conference in 1972 is an important milestone in the discussion, and in 1987 the Brundtland Report brought the most used definition of the term, as the "ability to meet present needs without harming future generations", constituting a vast and complex set of challenges for society (Geissdoerfer et al., 2016).The corporate management literature focuses on ecological sustainability and the issue of social and environmental responsibility (Carter & Rogers, 2008).
For the success of sustainable actions, Sachs (2009) considers it essential that modern biotechnology be available to all the tips of the 5 Fs: food, supplies (feed), fuels (fuel), fertilizers (fertilizers) and industrialized animal feed (feed).This is an issue of the utmost importance for humanity in the quest for sustainability.
The Brundtland Report focused on the dichotomy between development and the environment, restricting the debates to these two aspects.Subsequently, the UN developed a broader understanding that sustainability consists of the interaction and interdependence between three main dimensions: social development, economic development and the environment, which need to be considered as a whole to achieve the established goals of preservation and conservation (Kuhlman & Farrington, 2010).
The concept of sustainability should be understood as a set of dynamic objectives measuring causes and effects in the environmental, economic and social spheres, such as the production, distribution and use of biofuels worldwide (Efroymson et al., 2012).In this perspective, the SDG initiative should be applicable guidelines in the public and private spheres, so that sustainability can really get off the ground by innovating technologies that leverage natural resources with less impact on the environment.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The OF STATES) participate.Besides international bodies, Brazilian institutions participate, such as (BNDES, Amazon Fund) and international (World Bank).Therefore, there are several institutions working in partnerships for the implementation and execution of the SDGs in the country.Resources are allocated according to the needs of each objective, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Graph on the distribution of resources of the UN and its partners for the SDGs in Brazil.
Source: Prepared by the authors from the UN (2023).
The graph presents, in percentage terms, the amounts set aside by UN Brazil and its partners for SDG programs and actions.Highlights are Goal 17 -Peace, justice and effective institutions -which receives the highest percentage (15.8%).While goal 07 -Clean and affordable energy -does not receive values (0%).
The concern with environmental and climatic issues, the emissions of GHGs, give an impulse to investments in research into the ecosystems, qualification and awareness of the people who live in these places.They are business groups and diverse communities, rural settlements, family farmers who receive technical and financial assistance from national organizations such as the BNDES (Amazon Fund) and international (World Bank).
Agricultural expansion may be more effective in the Mato Grosso Amazon, due to an unprecedented global demand for food and biofuels pushing for the conversion of the tropical forest to agriculture (Macedo et al., 2012).Deforestation has a direct relationship with the price of soybeans, which defines a high standard of forest loss in Mato Grosso (Morton et al., 2006).The transition zone of the Amazon-Cerrado biomes in which most of the commodities production takes place, needs better planning of public policies aimed at preserving their biodiversity (Marques et al., 2020).
There is a trend of expansion of cultivated area as already cited in Macedo (2012).Most of the cities that produced the most agricultural commodities in 2020 are located in the area under study (SEPLAG, 2020).It is one of the most extensive and complex transition areas in the world, where the rates of rotation of most vegetation are exceptionally high (Oliveira et al., 2017).Therefore, it is necessary that indices of economic, social and environmental efficiency be developed to monitor the use of these biomes and propose more efficient public policies (Araújo et al., 2021).

METHODOLOGY
The methodology and procedures used in the work followed the steps described in  First, there was the cutting out of the biomes of the Amazon and Cerrado, a state limit, after the municipal limits inserted into the transition zone.These procedures were developed with the help of the geoprocessing-clip tools.After the shapefile cut out, the symbologycategories-unique values tool applied the classification of the names of municipalities and biomes according to the corresponding colors.

CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCATION OF THE STUDY AREA
The state of Mato Grosso (MT) is located in the Midwest Region of the country, it is the third largest in Brazil with territorial area of 903,208,361 km².In 2021 its estimated population was 3,567,234 people, and the population density was 3.36 inhab/km².Its capital is Cuiabá with approximately 623,614 inhabitants in 2021 (IBGE, 2023).From this perspective, present productive and extractive activities in the Amazon biomes and the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone in Mato Grosso, Brazil.According to the IBGE, the Amazon biome is the largest in the country, occupies about 49% of the territory, is the largest humid tropical forest on the planet and contains 20% of all fresh water in the world, besides large mineral reserves and enormous biodiversity.
The Cerrado is the second largest biome in the country, occupying about 24% of the national territory, being recognized as the savanna with the highest biodiversity on the planet (Educa IBGE, 2023).In the biome it is common to have more spaced trees and smaller statures, but they are more efficient and resistant to the changes that are occurring in ambient and foliar temperatures (Araújo et al., 2021).
The Amazon-Cerrado transition zone is the largest ecotone (contact area between two biomes) savanna-forest in the world with a total length of 6,000km (Oliveira et al (2017).In the territory of Mato Grosso, it occupies approximately 414,007 km² of dry forests that normally occur in places distant from the permanent waterways (World Wildlife Fund Brazil, 2023).The Amazon-Cerrado transition zone may be the first region of the planet affected by the changes resulting from extreme climatic effects and from the advance of deforestation (Marques et al., 2020).
The study focused on the actions, projects and programs for production and extraction developed in these regions by non-governmental organizations, companies, international The research was based on scientific articles from the Web of Science, Scielo, Google Academic databases, as well as on the sites of institutions, besides the official sites of the cities of Alta Floresta and Cotriguaçu, both of the state of Mato Grosso.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Brazil is finalizing a period of strong GDP drop since 2015, according to data from SEPLAG MT -Secretary of State for Planning and Management, 2023 -the country's GDP turned negative in 2015 and 2016.More recently, the forecast for 2022 was to grow 0.3%, however, the result was 3% growth of national GDP, in this scenario, the state of Mato Grosso has important participation.
In this context, the economy of the state of Mato Grosso is driven by agribusiness, which is the main factor of generation of employment and regional income.Some commercial results prove the strength of the agro-exporting sector.The trade balance showed in the 4th quarter of 2022 an expansion of export value of around 77% compared to the same period of 2021 (SEPLAG, 2020).This performance confirms the productive and commercial vocation of the state.
In the year 2020 the state GDP was 178,65 mi of real motivated mainly by the performance of the farming sector.The municipalities of the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, about 63 localities, had a participation in this result of 78.89 mi of reals, that is, practically 44% of all of the state's wealth.
Then, the average GDP of these cities was 1.25 mi, and the average GDP per capita was 60.85 thousand reais (SEPLAG, 2023).The municipalities that stood out the most in 2020 were Sorriso with 9.1 mi of reais, and Sinop with 8.07 mi and real of GDP.In addition, Nova Mutum, Campo Novo do Parecis and Diamantino can be highlighted as major producers of commodities for export (SEPLAG, 2023).
In the first quarter of 2023: The state GDP grew by 11% while Brazil's GDP increased by 4% in that period.The sector of the local economy with the best result was agriculture with an increase of 30%, which demonstrates the importance of this sector for the national economy.
In the period from 2002 to 2020, Mato Grosso presented the highest average of the country's growth with 4.7% a year, besides obtaining the highest GDP per capita with approximately 50.6 thousand reais (2023).Most of this production comes from the municipalities located in the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone.
The current external demand for food produced in Brazil raises concerns about environmental conservation and preservation, which is becoming a challenge for the State.
Research indicates a possible increase in this volume as a function of the population growth and of the greater consumption of food in the whole world.If this forecast is confirmed, the agricultural frontier will tend to expand in the direction of the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone and to the tropical forest itself.
These concerns are in line with the above-mentioned document, the 2030 Agenda of the SDGs to be incorporated by all nations.Since then, numerous actions have been taken to achieve the 17 U.N. goals and eliminate hunger, reduce GHG emissions and climate impacts, ensuring the availability of natural resources for future generations.
In parallel to the large scale agroexporter production system, the research identified several initiatives of agroecological production, natural extraction, integration between forest, farming and livestock using techniques in which they seek environmental sustainability and local development.They work in the three biomes of Mato Grosso -Amazônia, Cerrado and Pantanal, the program benefits those who contribute with actions for the conservation of the forest, such as family farmers, traditional communities, rural producers and the indigenous peoples, encouraging initiatives that stimulate low carbon agriculture and the reduction of deforestation It can be seen that there is convergence between the SDGs and sustainable activities, mainly in the mid-north region of the state of Mato Grosso, which includes the major part of the Amazon-Cerrado transition area.

16
The main SDGs considered in the sustainable production initiatives in the scope of this study were: 1 -Eradication of poverty; 2 -Zero hunger and sustainable agriculture; 8 -Decent work and economic growth; 10 -Reduction of inequalities; 11 -Sustainable cities and communities and 12 -Sustainable consumption and production.
In addition to these activities, under the 2030 Agenda the UN develops 274 other programs funded by the body and its institutional partners to provide a sustainable future and greater food security in Brazil (UN, 2023).
The UN develops 18 of these sustainable projects in Mato Grosso, in partnership with institutions such as UNICEF (UNSDPF, 2023).These programs include SDGs 1, 3,4,6,8,10,13,14,15,16,17 as part of the actions related to the green economy with the perspective of eradicating poverty, job creation and income in the region.
Even with several positive initiatives in the sense of preserving biomes and the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, there is a tendency for an increase in the demand for food and biofuels.This economic fatora, which is difficult to mitigate, may put pressure on the use of new agricultural land, particularly in the tropical forests such as the Amazon and the Cerrado biome.
In Mato Grosso, the largest agricultural productions occur in regions with biodiversities that are more sensitive to human actions.
In municipalities such as Lucas do Rio Verde, Juína and Alta Floresta that are located in the center and north of the state, occurs at the same time the large scale production and activities of small family producers to meet the local and regional market.Dairy activity, nontimber product extraction, agro-ecological production and other forms that include some of the presented SDGs are developed.
According to the SEMA-MT Environment Secretariat, since 2019 regional actions are implemented in Mato Grosso through the Global REDD Early Movers Program (REM) which also finances the Institute Produce, Conserve and Include (PCI), promoting practices to increase the efficiency of agricultural and forestry production, the conservation of remnants of native vegetation and the recomposition of environmental liabilities (REM-MT, 2019).Initiatives that add to the international efforts of the UN, institutional partners and other nations to minimize the effects of climate change.
In recent years, the state has developed in the agribusiness sector through new production technologies, research and rural development, which have allowed the advance of the planted area, increased agricultural productivity and the formation of an extensive agroindustrial chain.In this segment, the main export vectors are soybeans, corn, cotton, beef cattle raising, milk production, poultry raising and pig farming.The state has the largest cattle herd in the country and the largest soybean production in the world.These results demonstrate the full strength and relevance of the export agribusiness in generating jobs and income for the population (SEPLAG, 2023).
The above-mentioned companies, institutions and communities develop alternatives for more sustainable production in line with the proposal of the UN 2030 Agenda to eliminate hunger and protect our rivers and forests.South America, especially Brazil, concentrates the most extensive and diverse tropical forests in the world (Bennett et al., 2023).
For many years these forests act as carbon sinks for humanity.At the same time, they are ecosystems that are extremely sensitive to changes in soil temperature and humidity, and from the 1990s these sinks began to decrease and could cease completely by 2040 (Bennett et al., 2023).This possibility reinforces the relevance and urgency of the initiatives in Mato Grosso in the preservation, environmental conservation and reduction of food insecurity according to the SDGs.They are initiatives in the sense of human awareness for a new relationship with nature, agroecology, ecological corridors, recovery of degraded areas, reforestation and research for carbon sequestration, among others.
The main climate research organs in the world point to the risks of anthropic actions as the dynamo of these transformations (Sampaio et al., 2007).Observational and modeling analyzes have proven that alterations in the soil cover of Amazonia can have a significant impact on the global climate.
However, every possible effort must be engendered in the struggle for the preservation of biodiversity.Studies in Finland have concluded that protected areas may contribute partially to preservation, but alone will not be sufficient to reduce biodiversity losses, and that there is a need to improve the coverage and management of areas (Santangeli et al., 2023).
Within the framework of sustainable activities presented, most of them are in the context of small farmers, cooperatives, communities of original peoples, who need permanent technical assistance in addition to financial resources.To address climate issues, it is necessary to change production practices, have access to storage structures, and especially to choose varieties of crops that are more climate-resistant (Acevedo et al., 2020).
The combination of financial support plus technical infrastructure is essential for the longevity and success of these initiatives, as well as the implementation of environmental public policies (Saarikoski et al.,2018).In this context, some actions related to the SDGs work with reduced resources available (Figure 1) presented in the graph, referring to SDG 7 -Clean and accessible energy is not destined for any value.
In this sense, several important productive and conservation initiatives implemented by sustainable organizations, activities and actions developed in the area under focus and their relations with the SDGs/UN have been demonstrated, with desirable results for municipalities in the transition zone. it becomes crucial to discuss, support and implement public policies and projects that empower the local economy in a sustainable way.
___________________________________________________________________________ Rev. Gest.Soc.Ambient.| Miami | v.18.n.1 | p.1-24 | e06527 | 2024.6 monopolize state funding resources.In addition, the state is a major producer and exporter of beef, poultry meat, soybean oil and other agricultural products.The state's largest trading partner is the Republic of China.Wilkinson (2016) described the progressive relevance of the Brazil-China relationship in the economic and diplomatic fields.Between 1970 and 1980 Brazil exported mainly manufactured from the steel and petrochemical industries.
UN held the meeting of key Member States in September 2015, where the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was established.This document reflects the concern to reduce poverty and improve living conditions for all on the planet, benefiting current generations without harming future generations.At the same time, national economies were being affected by climate change caused mainly by increased GHG emissions around the world.Ending hunger, improving living conditions, reducing GHG emissions and saving the planet were the main motivations for developing the SDGs (UN, 2023).The SDGs are a set of 17 topics subdivided into 167 goals, created by the United Nations in 2015.This document was part of the action plan "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" which was a response to global challenges of climate, social inequality and environmental degradation (Van der Waal & Thijssens, 2020).In Brazil, the UN carries out about 274 activities with investments of around 191 million dollars to reach the 17 SDGs (UN, 2023).The actions are organized in the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework formed by all UN agencies, funds and programs in each nation (UNSDPF, 2023).The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFDA), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), The Green Climate Fund (GCF), National Council of Justice (CNJ), Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC), UN Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Agency for Refugees -Multi Donors (UNHCR MD), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Department of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM -U.S. DEPARTMENT
Figure (3)  shows the map of location of the state of Mato Grosso and the municipalities that are inserted in the transition zone of the Amazon and Cerrado biomes.

Figure 3
Figure 3Map of the location of the municipalities in the transition zone of the Amazon-Cerrado biomes in Mato Grosso.
Figure three (3) contains important initiatives organized by national and international institutions in the north and middle-north region of the state of Mato Grosso.

Figure 3
Figure 3Sustainable organizations, activities and actions developed in the transition area of the Amazon -Cerrado biomes and their relations with the SDGs/UN.
(EMBRAPA, 2022) actions in 52 municipalities located in the states of Pará, Mato Grosso, Rondônia and Sul do Amazonas.Use of agroforestry systems, Integration of Livestock and Forest, planting of forests.Benefits for society and the Amazon biome according to the SDGs, with adaptation to climate change, water and food security, poverty reduction, economic growth and biodiversity conservation(EMBRAPA, 2022)