Campo remoto: a methodology for direct dialogue with agricultural families in the pandemic and post-pandemic periods

Abstract

The “campo remoto” is a methodology that consists of a set of actions and participatory tools, organized to allow of a remote contact to be held among researchers, extension agents, and farming families, taking into account their planning according to the work to be performed, language and form of communication, and evaluation after the established contact. The objective of campo remoto is to allow of a direct and personalized contact with each farming family through a virtual meeting with real-time connection, for the validation of information or data collection, and advances in scientific research. The resources needed for this are: devices for videoconference, internet, and videoconferencing application. The recommended time for carrying out the campo remoto, in the synchronous moment, is the maximum of one hour. The preparation of the campo remoto starts with the list of who will be participating, according to the identified demand, such as: technicians, farming families, researchers, teachers, etc. Then, there is the choice of the theme and the initial planning. Prior contact with the participants and farming families should be made, scheduling the best day and time with the family, determining the start and end time. After the campo remoto, the team of technicians get together to evaluate what happened, to talk about their impressions, and to think about the next steps. This communication methodology allows of the continuity and strengthening of the research work at a lower cost, it is adequate to the reality of farming families in the Brazilian Semi-arid region and can be adapted to any region of the country or even to international contacts.