CENTRAL TOPIC
The Eixo Forte is located between the centre of the municipality of Santarém and the village of Alter do Chão. It is possible to see that the Eixo Forte communities have been affected by some transformations and pressures, mainly from the real estate market. These influence in some way the dynamics of the communities, whether in their ways of living, in traditional practices, or in the organisation of territories. In recent years, the municipal urban policies, like the Master Plan instrument, defined the expansion of the zoning for intensive agricultural aptitude, encompassing the area of the Eixo Forte. These policies also included discussions about the disinfection of the PAE. It is important to understand these actions to know how the practices and ways of living of these communities were in the past, and how they compare to the current reality, with the new influences of urbanisation.
CENTRAL TOPIC
CENTRAL TOPIC
Eixo Forte Region
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Eixo Forte is located in the municipality of Santarém, and is part of the Agroextractivist Settlement Program implemented by the federal government (through the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform - INCRA). The region contains 18 communities and, according to research carried out at PAE, contains an average of 617 families. The Eixo Forte region is characterized by practices more focused on family production, especially with the production of manioc flour and its derivatives (tucupi, tapioca gum), in addition to the extraction of açaí and Brazil nuts. These communities offer services which are related to community-based tourism and are famous for their festivals, be it typical food or sports festivals, folk dances, regional fruit festivals. Each community has its specificities, especially if it is located closer or further from the center of the municipality's headquarters.