Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Policy in family farming in Chapada Diamantina: the case of the municipality of Piatã
Family farming; technical assistance and rural extension; public policy.
This research seeks to do an analysis of the public policy of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) for the family farming in Piatã, Bahia. Family farming is an important sector in the state of Bahia, as it has the largest number of family farming establishments in Brazil, and for its promotion, the ATER policy – which today is based on a model with participatory methodology , agroecological production, democratization and the valuing of traditional knowledge – is a fundamental instrument. However, characteristics such as socioeconomic, institutional and environmental diversity that are present in each local context can affect the efficiency of public policies. Thus, this dissertation intends to verify the effectiveness and scope of ATER among a group of organic coffee farmers associated in a cooperative in Piatã - BA.