THE POLONOROESTE PROGRAM

The Northeastern Brazil Integration Development Program (Polonoroeste) was executed in the 1980s with funding from the Brazilian government and the World Bank, under the coordination of the Superintendent of Development of the Central-West (Sudeco).  Included in its area of influence was the Highway BR-364, between Cuiabá (MT) and Porto Velho (RO), with the principal objectives being:

• to contribute to the largest national integration;
• to promote the demographic occupation of the northeastern region of Brazil, absorving those populations economically marginalized by other regions and provide them with employment;
• to increase the region's production and the population's earned revenue;
• to reduce intra- and inter-regional disparities;
• to ensure the growth of production in harmony with the preservation of ecological systems and the protection of indigenous communities.

Amongst the program's design was included the implantation of dozens of agricultural colonization projects, such as the Machadinho, with the goal of providing land to landless farmers.