A Formalization and Test of the "Hollow Frontier" Hypothesis

Abstract

A persistent theme in Brazilian agricultural development is the presence of a “hollow frontier.” Although the concept was proposed almost forty years ago, there has been little empirical testing of its basic tenets. In this paper the hypothesis tested is that a maximum production ridge advances over time away from the areas of initial cultivation in the State of Sāo Paulo. The results of the analysis confirm the presence of a “hollow frontier” in all time periods. Several generally recognized impressions of declining production behind the advancing frontier are substantiated.