The Brazilian Ocean Economy in Light of Adam Smith’s Division of Labor

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which the Brazilian Ocean Economy can be understood in light of Adam Smith’s theory of the division of labor. Considering the growing relevance of the blue economy as a driver of sustainable development and the vast maritime territory known as the “Blue Amazon,” the study investigates how the marine environment may foster market expansion and productive specialization. Methodologically, the research combines a theoretical review of the concept of the Ocean Economy with a critical reading of "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations", confronting Smithian foundations of the division of labor with the productive organization and the role of the State in the Brazilian context. The analysis shows that, although the sea constitutes a strategic means to expand markets, reduce costs, and stimulate specialization, its exploitation in Brazil remains constrained by low territorial integration, institutional fragility, and external dependency. The findings suggest that classical theory helps interpret the centrality of the sea as economic infrastructure, while also highlighting the contradictions of a productive model still shaped by inequality and export-oriented specialization.