Cartografia institucional das reestruturações no sistema estadual de extensão rural no Brasil na região Sul

Abstract

This work presents a historical and institutional analysis of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) in Brazil, with an emphasis on public institutions in the Southern region. The research discusses the evolution of ATER from its origins in the imperial period, through the formation of the ACARs (Rural Extension and Technical Assistance Agencies), the centralization promoted by EMBRATER (Brazilian Agricultural Extension Service), and the changes resulting from its extinction in the 1990s. Using a descriptive and historical-documentary approach, the study gathers specialized bibliography, legislation, and institutional documents to understand how each state structured and reorganized its rural extension systems over time. The results show that Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul developed distinct but equally relevant models for strengthening family farming, technological innovation, sustainability, and especially cooperativism. It concludes that ATER remains a strategic instrument for sustainable rural development, for mediating between scientific knowledge and local practices, and for promoting productive inclusion in rural areas.