Four decades contributing to Brazil's agricultural and agricultural development: the path of the Rural Economy and Sociology magazine, RESR, and the “Pensamento Soberiano”

Abstract: This paper proposes one narrative on the Brazilian Journal of Rural Economics and Sociology’s path, approaching the last four decades, and formulates hypotheses about its two impacts. One, internal, within the Brazilian Society of Economics, Administration and Rural Sociology, and other, external, into the public administration, parliaments and associations of economic and social agents working in rural areas, been both influenced by the content disseminated through the articles. The hypothesis are that these articles expressed a set of ideas, defined here as “Pensamento Soberiano”, about public and private policies and the conduct of agents that, once adopted, would help to stimulate agricultural production and productivity, market performance, sustainable rural development and countryside social inequalities reduction. The article also shows how, over the years, the “Pensamento Soberiano” becomes plural and heterodox. The material used was journal editions corresponding to four decades and the method was to visit, or briefly review, each issue to identify authorship and scope. It is admitted to have captured the essence of the “Pensamento Soberiano”, and to estimate its contribution to the adoption of rationality precepts in Brazilian agrarian and agricultural policies and productive performance.