Store of value in the Amazon: An analysis of the intersection between forest clearing and rentism

Abstract

This article uses a geographical lens to examine forest clearing in the Amazon, using geoprocessing tools to analyze land use. The analysis was focused on the Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area (APA) in Para, Brazil, with the objective of identifying the relationship between forest clearing and land speculation, considering land as a store of value. By analyzing 134.3 billion square meters of orbital images from the SENTINEL-2 satellite over eight years, vast deforested areas were identified that had stabilized vegetatively, thereby becoming recognized as reserves of value. Infrequently, fluctuations in the vegetation index were observed in areas that may have been utilized for agricultural purposes following forest clearing. The data collected lends support to the hypothesis that following the clearance of the forest, the land remains stable, likely serving speculative interests driven by the phase of financialized capitalism and supported by state regulatory instruments. Furthermore, the calculation of CO2 emissions is explored, connecting the analysis to the global dynamics of climate change influenced by human activity.