The diffusion of the Assisted Market Agrarian Reform (RAAM) and its integration into the brazilian agrarian agenda

Abstract

The Assisted Market Agrarian Reform (RAAM) was established in Brazil in 1997 by the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso in partnership with the World Bank. Its main objective was to reduce conflicts and alleviate rural poverty. The Northeast region was chosen for the initial implementation of the policy due to its higher concentration of poverty. Therefore, this article aims to understand how this model emerged in the Brazilian agrarian agenda and to raise the inherent questions regarding its adoption process. A qualitative approach was employed, utilizing document analysis and theoretical grounding in the Policy Diffusion Theory. The results indicate that the RAAM was integrated into the agrarian agenda during the first term of Fernando Henrique Cardoso's presidency (1995-1998), within a context of global neoliberal prescriptions for developing countries. It was adopted during a period of intense conflicts and rural occupations, and the model was implemented to undermine the activities of social movements fighting for land and neutralize social pressure.