Notes on the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Rural Extension: academic reports and international guidelines

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (TIC) is a reality in many people´s daily lives. However, when we observe some realities, especially family farmers, it is noted that they still need inclusion. This article aims to systematize the results of some scientific studies on the problematic of the use of ICTs in the Rural Extension and analyze the recommendations of international organizations about this use. To achieve these objectives, bibliographic researches were carried out in academic repositories and documentary researches on the websites of international organizations. Initially, to find the presence of recommendations for ICTs use and, in a second moment, analyzing the contents of publications of one organization. These organizations noted considerable attention in prescribing the use of ICTs as a support tool in Rural Extension and, in turn, scientific studies are, sometimes, optimistic and in other hopeless about the actual application of these technologies in the universe of family farming, extension, and rural development.