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Abstract
The present work aims at reflecting upon the future of agricultural research in Brazil, having as a
background numerous changes that are taking place in the organization of such sector. It is based
on a qualitative methodological strategy, the data survey being carried out by means of semistructured
interviews. The interviewees were people linked to the agricultural sector in the State of
Santa Catarina, namely, researchers, extension activity personnel, directors of research companies
and rural extension, representatives of producers associations, former state secretaries of
agriculture, government advisors, amongst others. From the analysis of the interview contents, the
main issues raised are related to the role of the State, the participation of the producers in the
definition of research goals and policies, the interests of private initiative, and the uprising of the
figure of a "new researcher". Such issues reveal new demands from the society, urging the
conception of new research models, which, on the one side, are tuned with those demands, and on
the other side, promote a more critical integration of the agricultural research and the logic of the
economy globalization.