From radio waves to the internet in rural areas: the problem of meaningful connectivity in Brazil and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Abstract

Abstract:
The article, in the form of an essay, addresses one of the emerging themes with great potential to enable the digital and productive inclusion of family farmers in situations of poverty or vulnerability: the digitalization of rural space and food systems. The topic is complex, as it involves a wide variety of domains, from access to the internet with significant connectivity, forms of production, including the type of technical assistance and access to education and qualification. The core of the problem is the increasingly widespread use of digital platforms, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic, and the significant low connectivity of rural Brazilian and Latin American areas of family farming and rural communities. It is a much broader issue, therefore, than the so-called Agriculture 4.0, for which there is a structured environment of actors and forms of government support. Regarding digitalization, significant connectivity, however, the knowledge available to decision makers in the construction of public policies is still incipient. The results can be ambiguous: at the same time as they expand opportunities, they also reinforce inequalities, due to the various barriers to entry and provision of internet access in rural Brazil and Latin America. The article includes a brief bibliographical review on the subject from the axis of significant connectivity, articulating elements such as digitalization of the territory, gaps in access to broadband internet service and the importance of public policies in the sector.