Limits and possibilities of the use of ICT by family agriculture in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Studies demonstrate that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can assist in the emancipation of users, offering them the possibility of accessing information and knowledge in order to become agents of their own history. In this sense, the objective of this investigation is to analyze the use of ICTs by farming families in the southern region of Brazil, pointing out the limits and possibilities in the context of family farming. To achieve this goal, forms were applied to thirty family units in the municipalities of Xaxim / SC and Pato Branco / PR. The research found that the possibility of accessing and using ICTs represents a need for family farmers in view of the competitiveness of the current market. Despite the importance and significance that ICTs represent to rural areas, the field of study reveals that the conditions of this access have limitations, as the technical system is deficient, which prevents effective access to all the potential that these technologies hold. In some cases, even with a high investment, the farmer cannot access a better service or even use it properly. Finally, it appears that ICTs are inserted in the context of family farming and represent the possibility of network integration and shared construction of knowledge.