A expansão do cultivo do Caju e seus impactos ambientais e econômicos na Guiné-Bissau

Abstract

The present study analyzes the relationship between the increase in Cashew Nut Production with Shell (CNPS), its export and Cumulative Deforestation of the Native Forest (CDNF) in Guinea-Bissau. The general objective of the research is to analyze the expansion of cashew cultivation and its environmental and economic impacts in Guinea-Bissau with a focus on sustainable development. It is an applied, bibliographic, explanatory and ex-post facto research. As for the methodological procedures, it started with the analysis of correlation, linear regression and multiple regression. Subsequently, an online questionnaire was applied to nine experts in the field to assess the impacts of Guinea-Bissau's sectoral public policies on the CNPS and its export. Finally, geoprocessing techniques were used to identify the accumulation of deforestation in Guinea-Bissau. After analyzing the data for environmental impacts, the results showed that, from 2002 to 2017 there is a strong and positive correlation between CNPS and DAFN, where the individual significance test is 6.95E-07, with R² equal to 0.91. As for the economic impacts, it was noticed that, from 2000 to 2015, the Cashew Nut Export (CNE) has an average contribution of 8.9% in the country's GDP, but indirectly has a great economic impact, for directly and indirectly generate employment and income for the consumption of a large part of the population, in addition to collecting taxes for government spending. The results of the variables that influenced the dynamics of production and CNE in Guinea-Bissau. From 1999 to 2015, peanut production explains about 36% of the variation of the CCPC and from 1999 to 2017 about 65% of the CNE is explained by the percentage variation of world production. For experts, Guinea-Bissau government officials do not have public policies for the cashew sector, non-governmental organizations are those that invest in the sector to increase productivity. It is noticed the lack of the presence of the State to invest in different areas that allow the growth and sustainable development of the cashew sector. This lack of control and strategic investment by State agencies has created an increase in production, through forest deforestation and a significant dependence on the CNE on the country's total production. The results of the images obtained through geoprocessing techniques identified that until 2001 the accumulation of deforestation was reasonable, however, from 2002 to 2018, the accumulated deforestation was significantly intensified mainly in the northern and southern regions of the country. Finally, the study showed that in order to increase productivity there must be investments in new technologies, making it possible to reduce demand for new agricultural areas. It is necessary to make a greater effort on the part of the government to make full use of cashew nuts and to increase substantially the production of other crops for the country to be self-sufficient in the production of these crops, especially rice, as it is extremely important for the food security of the majority of the population.