Que diretrizes de pesquisa para o desenvolvimento territorial sustentavel no Brasil?

This paper deals with the challenges involving policy-making in the field of sustainable rural development in the northeast region of Brazil. The aim is to attain a deeper understanding of these challenges and to offer some guidelines for action at the local level. In this sense, the authors take into account the emergence and the relevance of the sustainable territorial development framework. A case study conducted in the municipality of Acauá, located in the semi-arid region of the state of Piauí, was assumed as the starting point in nurturing the contemporary debate about methodological approaches in the regional planning realm. This case study justifies the assumption that our scientific community needs a more comprehensive research agenda to grasp the complexity involved in managing alternative, long term rural development strategies. (Résumé d'auteur