Brazilian Agriculture is not ready for Silicon Valley technologies. It will be?

I recently read in an article that Brazilian Agriculture is not ready and will never be ready to use disruptive technologies from Silicon Valley. It will be?

Let’s understand how disruptive technologies challenge this thinking.

Imagine the United States in the 1990s. Producers were used to planting, harvesting and replanting in a known cycle, but faced constant losses caused by pests and unexpected climate changes.

Pest management was a daily challenge, requiring constant pesticide applications. Farmers were always concerned about protecting their crops, but at the same time, they feared the impact of chemicals on the soil and the environment.

Here comes a disruptive technology — genetically modified seeds, developed by a company called Monsanto. The goal was something that sounded almost like magic: creating plants that were resistant to pests and able to survive herbicides.

The idea was that these plants would resist attacks from the most voracious insects and, at the same time, could be cultivated with fewer chemical interventions.

The genetic modification process altered the very structure of the plant's DNA, something that, until then, seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Scientists managed to insert genes into the seeds that caused them to produce a protein that was toxic to certain insects but harmless to humans. Additionally, these plants could withstand herbicides that would kill all the surrounding weeds but leave the crop intact.

The first to bet

At first, few producers took risks. It was an expensive and mysterious technology, and many farmers wondered, “Is this safe?” But some more daring producers, willing to try something new, decided to give it a chance. And that's when the magic started to happen.

These first GM seed crops resisted pests that once devastated entire plantations and reduced the need for pesticides. Producers who used the seeds noticed that the cost of controlling pests plummeted, and crop productivity began to break records. It didn't take long for curious neighbors to start visiting these farms to see what was happening.

The controversy and challenge of the status quo

But, like all disruptive technologies, GMO seeds faced resistance. Environmental organizations, consumer groups and even some producers questioned the safety of modified foods. “Is this natural?” and “Are we putting our health at risk?” were frequently asked questions. In the United States and Europe, heated debates began, and to this day GMO seeds are a controversial topic.

However, over time, the technology proved its value in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, where producers were dealing with adverse weather conditions and major pest challenges. In Brazil, for example, GMO seeds brought a significant transformation in soybean and corn crops, elevating the country to the level of a major global exporter.

Today, GMO seeds are used in several countries and are present in millions of hectares around the world. They have helped transform agricultural regions, where pest resistance and herbicide tolerance have become a competitive advantage. Despite the controversies, this technology brought a new way of seeing agriculture and enabled the creation of more productive and resilient varieties.

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Moral of the story

The history of GMO seeds teaches us that every impactful innovation will challenge the status quo. As in every revolution, there is skepticism and resistance, but there is also the possibility of significant transformations. Genetically modified seeds came to change the field and, despite facing barriers, opened the doors to modern agriculture.

Just as GMOs and many other technologies face acceptance barriers, this is an irreversible process. As I often say in my lectures: Innovation does not ask for permission. Apologize.