ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes the impacts of increases in prices of two primary products - coffee and cocoa - on the growth of the national and regional economies. It tries to understand the factors that have determined salutary effects in the coffee region and negligible effects on the cocoa region. The results suggest that only a partial answer can be found in the nature of these products, as proposed by the “staples” approach. The largest effects seem to be connected with some social and macroeconomic characteristics prevalent in these economies during the “boom” period.
KEYWORDS:
Coffee; cocoa; economic history of Brazil; economic growth