Beyond the fields: EMBRAPA'S sustainable technological prospects for Brazilian agribusiness

Barbosa, Vivian Cristina Ribeiro; Brisola, Marlon Vinícius

doi:10.1590/1806-9479.2023.270441en

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural

Español English

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

Article • Rev. Econ. Sociol. Rural 62 (3) • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9479.2023.270441en copy

Beyond the fields: EMBRAPA'S sustainable technological prospects for Brazilian agribusiness

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This research aimed to understand the future of sustainable agricultural innovations, analyzing the technologies developed by EMBRAPA, in the conceptual light of innovation, sustainable economic development, and the entrepreneurial state. An exploratory and qualitative methodology was used to chronologically organize 1188 technological solutions, 363 patents and, 2043 cultivars. The method guided the application of a prospective scenario questionnaire adapted to the Likert-type SERVQUAL Scale. Based on the obtained results, a tendency to invest in improved water catchment systems, intelligent irrigation, heat and drought tolerant varieties, soil management technologies, biological pest control, use of renewable raw materials, and genetic improvement was observed. Finally, investments in methodologies, processes, and expansion of EMBRAPA services were also prioritized, as well as the celebration of partnerships with agricultural groups, companies, and institutes. Based on all the information presented in this study, it is evident that EMBRAPA has already established technologies. However, it is more urgent and imperative than ever to invest and drive sustainable innovation, making it accessible to all Brazilian producers, and providing a prosperous future for production and conservation in the sector.

Keywords:
economic development; innovation; sustainable technologies; agribusiness; scenario prospecting; technological change

Priority Degree	Meaning
0	No priority
1	Low priority
2	Low priority
3	Medium priority
4	High priority
5	Very high priority

TECHNOLOGIC SOLUTIONS		PATENTS		CULTIVARS
1975 to 2022		1983 to 2021		1998 to 2022
Methodology	110	Electricity	3	Forestry	88
Agricultural Practice	354	Engineering	8	Forage	79
Process	64	Execution of operations; Transport	23	Fruitful	401
Product	582	Physical	42	Great Cultures	1163
Service	14	Measurement	1	Vegetable crops	177
Agricultural System	64	Human needs	209	Ornamental	8
		Chemical	75	Others	127
		Textile	2
TOTAL	1188		363		2043

Question 2			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Improvement of water harvesting systems, smart irrigation, and practices adapted to local conditions.	Average	4.19	3.73	3.18
		Deviation	1.09	1.14	1.62
		Median	5	4	3
		Mode	5	4	5
Option 2	Development of functions and ecosystem services related to soil and water in rural areas.	Average	3.39	2.94	2.55
		Deviation	1.34	1.22	1.50
		Median	4	3	2
		Mode	4	3	2
Option 3	Agroforestry systems that incorporate plant diversity with agricultural, fruit-bearing, and forestry species.	Average	3.68	3.23	2.60
		Deviation	1.31	1.27	1.49
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 4	Crop-Livestock-Forest Integration (CLFI), promotes the recovery of degraded pastures, intensification, and diversification of production.	Average	3.94	3.64	3.00
		Deviation	1.15	1.07	1.50
		Median	4	4	3
		Mode	5	3	5
Option 5	Conservationist no-tillage system that promotes carbon accumulation in the soil, fostering biological improvements in the soil and reducing erosion and sedimentation of water resources.	Average	3.87	3.61	2.98
		Deviation	1.18	1.22	1.48
		Median	4	4	3
		Mode	5	3	2
Option 6	Development of improved varieties with heat tolerance, drought tolerance, and other abiotic stress tolerance.	Average	4.10	3.63	3.22
		Deviation	1.17	1.16	1.47
		Median	5	4	3
		Mode	5	4	5

Question 3			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Development of national production systems for phosphate fertilizers.	Average	4.12	3.64	3.00
		Deviation	1.08	10.77	1.55
		Median	4	4	3
		Mode	5	4	2
Option 2	Development of new plants producing nitrogenous fertilizers and expansion of areas using biological nitrogen fixation to recover degraded areas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease contamination risks.	Average	3.52	3.14	2.48
		Deviation	1.30	11.02	1.38
		Median	4	3	2
		Mode	5	3	3
Option 3	The expansion of no-tillage farming enables greater efficiency in mechanized operations, allowing fuel savings and consequent reduction of CO2 emissions.	Average	2.85	2.33	2.01
		Deviation	1.36	12.28	1.36
		Median	3	2	2
		Mode	3	2	2
Option 4	Improvement of integrated management in crop protection against diseases, insects, and weeds.	Average	4.17	3.60	3.07
		Deviation	1.20	12.31	1.60
		Median	5	4	3
		Mode	5	4	5
Option 5	Improvement in agroecological and organic production systems, considering the non-use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or genetically modified organisms.	Average	3.48	3.09	2.47
		Deviation	1.62	13.23	1.50
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	5	3	3
Option 6	Facilitation of methods for biological nitrogen fixation in a greater number of species.	Average	3.94	3.61	3.11
		Deviation	1.23	9.59	1.32
		Median	4	4	3
		Mode	5	4	3

Question 4			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Development of national production systems for phosphate fertilizers.	Average	2.85	3.03	3.39
		Deviation	1.63	1.32	1.40
		Median	3	3	4
		Mode	5	4	5
Option 2	Development of new plants producing nitrogenous fertilizers and expansion of areas using biological nitrogen fixation to recover degraded areas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease contamination risks	Average	3.03	3.27	3.41
		Deviation	1.58	1.22	1.49
		Median	3	3	4
		Mode	5	3	5
Option 3	The expansion of no-tillage farming enables greater efficiency in mechanized operations, allowing fuel savings and consequent reduction of CO2 emissions.	Average	3.12	3.39	3.46
		Deviation	1.27	1.05	1.33
		Median	3	3	4
		Mode	2	4	4
Option 4	Improvement of integrated management in crop protection against diseases, insects, and weeds.	Average	3.28	3.56	3.67
		Deviation	1.48	1.06	1.32
		Median	4	4	4
		Mode	5	4	5

Question 5			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Genetic improvement through breeding products, breeding stock, or lineage.	Average	3.67	3.43	3.03
		Deviation	1.18	1.08	1.39
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 2	Enabling biological nitrogen fixation in a greater number of species, especially grasses.	Average	3.76	3.41	2.98
		Deviation	1.19	1.03	1.36
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	5	4	4
Option 3	Development of devices for animal traffic identification and monitoring.	Average	3.00	2.60	2.23
		Deviation	1.39	1.28	1.27
		Median	3	3	2
		Mode	3	3	3
Option 4	Improvement in the control of toxic plants in pastures.	Average	2.61	2.32	1.88
		Deviation	1.38	1.24	1.26
		Median	3	2	2
		Mode	3	2	2
Option 5	Development of cultivars for the ILP system.	Average	3.41	3.16	2.74
		Deviation	1.25	1.15	1.39
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	4	3	2
Option 6	Improvement of grazing management under rotational stocking	Average	3.58	3.27	2.84
		Deviation	1.14	1.07	1.30
		Median	4	3	3
		Mode	4	3	3

Question 6			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Investment Funds	Average	3.16	2.61	2.24
		Deviation	1.38	1.19	1.42
		Median	3	3	2.0
		Mode	4	3	2
Option 2	Communication and information technology companies	Average	3.16	2.81	2.39
		Deviation	1.20	1.14	1.37
		Median	3	3	2.0
		Mode	3	3	1
Option 3	Food and gastronomy industry	Average	3.41	3.01	2.46
		Deviation	1.04	1.16	1.46
		Median	3	3	2.5
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 4	Innovation ecosystem	Average	3.70	3.31	2.76
		Deviation	1.22	1.07	1.39
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 5	Agricultural groups and agribusiness companies	Average	3.83	3.43	2.86
		Deviation	1.13	1.21	1.58
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	4	3	5
Option 6	State research organizations (OEPAS)	Average	3.07	2.74	2.34
		Deviation	1.25	1.29	1.44
		Median	3	3	2.0
		Mode	3	3	3
Option 7	Representative entities of producer classes	Average	3.32	2.98	2.44
		Deviation	1.20	1.15	1.34
		Median	3	3	2.0
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 8	Institutes of science and technology	Average	3.69	3.21	2.90
		Deviation	1.37	1.17	1.45
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	5	3	3

Question 7			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Technological Options			Optimistic Scenario	Realistic Scenario	Pessimistic Scenario
Option 1	Development of physical and digital PRODUCTS, such as software, applications, cultivars (seeds and seedlings), animals, machinery, equipment, beverages, fertilizers, and vaccines.	Average	4.18	3.70	3.25
		Deviation	1.07	1.09	1.49
		Median	5	4	3.5
		Mode	5	4	5
Option 2	Increase in METHODOLOGIES aimed at achieving knowledge or results through analysis methods, laboratory procedures, verification and monitoring of socio-environmental profiles, digital soil mapping, diagnostic methods, and research methods.	Average	3.48	3.10	2.62
		Deviation	1.34	1.20	1.45
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	4	4	3
Option 3	Improvement of AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES encompassing production techniques, natural resource management, fertilization, planting, disease and pest control, soil recovery, conservation, and renewal.	Average	4.11	3.77	3.14
		Deviation	1.04	0.95	1.43
		Median	4	4	3.0
		Mode	5	4	3
Option 4	Development of PROCESSES for product generation, such as processes for obtaining packaging, production of pesticides and other chemical and biological products, fertilizers, food and beverages, animal feed, industrial products, machinery, and implements.	Average	3.69	3.31	2.78
		Deviation	1.11	1.22	1.51
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	4	3	3
Option 5	Improvements to animal and plant production management systems, including breeding cultivation, intercropping monoculture, crop rotation, and integrated production SYSTEMS.	Average	4.07	3.59	3.11
		Deviation	0.98	1.03	1.36
		Median	4	4	3.0
		Mode	5	4	3
Option 6	Expansion of SERVICES in research and technology transfer, including the development of analysis, consulting, monitoring, and web services.	Average	3.55	3.26	2.75
		Deviation	1.20	1.12	1.49
		Median	4	3	3.0
		Mode	4	3	2

Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural Av. W/3 Norte, Quadra 702 Ed. Brasília Rádio Center Salas 1049-1050, 70719 900 Brasília DF Brasil, - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: sober@sober.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Source: The Author