DESENVOLVIMENTO RURAL: COMPREENSÃO SOBRE O SEU COMPROMISSO COM A SUSTENTABILIDADE RURAL DEVELOPMENT: UNDERSTANDING OF ITS COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

This article analyzes rural development from the perspective of its commitment to sustainability, understood as a fundamental paradigm for addressing the social, economic, and environmental challenges that characterize contemporary rural areas. Based on a theoretical and analytical approach, the study discusses the historical evolution of the concept of rural development, highlighting the transition from productivist models focused on economic growth and agricultural modernization to more integrated and multidimensional perspectives. The research emphasizes that sustainable rural development requires the articulation of environmental, social, economic, territorial, cultural, and institutional dimensions, recognizing rural space as a locus of production, social reproduction, environmental conservation, and identity construction. Throughout the paper, practices and strategies that express this sustainable commitment are examined, such as the valorization of family farming, the adoption of agroecological principles, participatory territorial governance, and the formulation of integrated public policies. The article also addresses the main challenges to the implementation of sustainable rural development, including structural inequalities in rural areas, environmental pressures intensified by climate change, institutional weaknesses, and the dominance of global agri-food chains. Finally, future perspectives are outlined based on the territorial approach, contextualized social and technological innovation, expanded social participation, and capacity building, reinforcing sustainability as a structuring axis of a rural development project oriented toward social justice, natural resource conservation, and the well-being of present and future generations.