Agronomists and the construction of policy for agricultural teaching in the early 20th Century

Abstract

Discussions on agricultural modernization and the formation of specialized workers, already present throughout the 19^th century, were highlighted by the establishment of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA). This fact demonstrated the rise of the landed elite seeking more space in politics, coupled to the emergence of agronomists as holders of scientific knowledge focused on agricultural practices. SNA members counterpoised the power of the São Paulo landed elite and demanded from the central Brazilian government the establishment of a policy that would meet the organization's interests. The Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade (1906) was the result of tensions between the SNA and the São Paulo coffee growers. Four years later, legislation on agricultural education was enacted.