Was it Uruguay or Coffee? The causes of the beef jerky industry’s decline in southern Brazil (1850 – 1889)

What caused the decline of the beef jerky’s production in Brazil? The main sustenance for slaves, beef jerky was the most important industry in southern Brazil. Nevertheless, by 1850, producers were already worried that they could not compete with Uruguayan industry. Traditional interpretations impute the decline to labor markets differences in productivity, since Brazil used slaves while Uruguay had abolished slavery in 1842. Recent research also raises the possibility of a Brazilian “Dutch Disease”, resulting from the coffee exports boom. We test both hypothesis and argue that Brazilian production’s decline was associated with structural changes in demand for low quality meat. Trade protection policies created disincentives for Brazilian producers to increase productivity and diversify its cattle industry

O primado do mercado interno: a proeminência do espaço canavieiro de Minas Gerais no último século de hegemonia das atividades agroaçucareiras tradicionais no Brasil

Minas Gerais foi, durante o século 19 e início da centúria seguinte, o mais importante espaço canavieiro do Brasil. Para a década de 1830, estima-se a existência em Minas de 4.150 unidades produtivas com transformação da cana-de-açúcar. A soma dos engenhos do litoral nordestino, do norte fluminense e do Planalto Paulista não alcançava a metade do número de engenhos mineiros. Para este mesmo período, estima-se que em Minas 85 mil cativos eram empregados na fabricação de açúcar e aguardente. Em nenhum outro espaço canavieiro, em qualquer período da história do Brasil escravista, foi empregado contingente desta magnitude. Ainda para a quarta década do Oitocentos, estima-se que Minas Gerais produzia 33.200 toneladas de açúcar. A produção paulista não superava 8.500 toneladas e a de Pernambuco era de 27 mil. As exportações de açúcar da Bahia não perfaziam 30 mil toneladas, e as do Rio de Janeiro não alcançavam 17 mil.<br>During 19th century and the beginning of the following century, Minas Gerais was the most important sugarcane plantation area in Brazil. In the 1830's, there were 4.150 productive unities working with sugarcane transformation in Minas. The sum of all sugar mills in the northeast coast, north of Rio de Janeiro and the plains of São Paulo did not reach half of the number of sugar mills in Minas Gerais. In the same period, it is estimated that 85.000 captives was employed in the fabrication of sugar and of aguardente. That such a large contingent had neither been employed in any other sugarcane plantation area nor in any other period of brazilian slavery history. Furthermore, it is estimated that in the 1830's Minas Gerais produced 33.200 tons of sugar. The sugar production of São Paulo did not surpass 8.500 tons, and the production of Pernambuco was 27.000. The sugar exportation of Bahia was not more than 30.000 tons and the amount exported by Rio de Janeiro did not reach 17.000