The IBGE's Continuous PNAD data from 2022 shows significant progress in internet access in recent years, especially in rural areas. The percentage of people with internet access increased from 32% to 78% between 2016 and 2022, a 144% increase. The growth in the number of people using the internet in rural households since 2016 was more significant in the South and Midwest, where the better "coverage rates" are also found: in these regions, only 15% of households did not have effective internet access due to the unavailability of the service in the area.
In the tobacco sector, the numbers are even more significant. A CEPA/UFRGS survey conducted in 2023 found that 92.1% of tobacco producers in the Southern Region of Brazil have internet access at their own residence; and 1.6% have internet access in a nearby location (such as an association or club). Internet access enables tobacco producers to participate in various social networks. In the Southern Region, almost 95% of these producers participate in some social network: WhatsApp and Facebook are among the most used, with 98.9% and 84.6%. Instagram and YouTube are used by 37.8% and 24.1% of producers, respectively.
The data shows that internet use has been increasing among Brazilian rural producers, but does this change the context of succession in the countryside? From the use of specific software and programs for property management to the adoption of new equipment or techniques that reduce production costs, the internet offers numerous conveniences, but it also makes the pursuit of qualification and updates on new equipment and technologies available for the property even more important.
“More than just connections, for rural youth to want to stay in the countryside, they need training opportunities that are geared towards their reality. And this is the main objective of the Instituto Crescer Legal, an initiative of the tobacco sector, which has offered income and professional training to rural adolescents,” says Iro Schünke, CEO of the Institute.
Founded in 2015, the Crescer Legal Institute has already been present in 20 municipalities in the Southern Region of Brazil, where 54 classes of the Rural Professional Learning Program have been held. The innovative format, validated by the Ministry of Labor, uses the apprenticeship law. By using quotas from its associated and supporting companies, all tobacco industry companies, the Crescer Legal Institute provides children of rural producers, aged 14 to 17, with employment as young apprentices so they can attend the Entrepreneurship and Rural Management course after school, ensuring they stay away from activities inappropriate for their age.
Michele de Cássia Dzindzny, a social educator from the Rural Professional Learning Program at the Crescer Legal Institute in the São João do Triunfo (PR) group, shares how living with the apprentices and identifying with their realities have been inspiring."Through the course, apprentices have the opportunity to share their experiences and think about improvements. We can see the pride they feel when talking about their communities, the respect for agriculture, and they demonstrate awareness of the opportunities that rural areas offer. For us, a small municipality whose main economic activity is agriculture, especially through tobacco cultivation, the Institute represents new opportunities for rural youth," he comments.
