.jpg)
* By Cíntia Leitão
If you are still the type of person who believes that the future happens as a result of time, you may be outdated. We live in an era of exponential technologies that are multiplying, repeatedly and steadily. Alarming news or not, the fact is that we, as human beings, have been trained and accustomed to thinking linearly, to expect the constant pace of change and the passing of the years. Our generations have become accustomed to thinking based on past experiences and using these experiences to predict or foresee the future.
Intrigued by these exponential questions, I decided not to be someone of linear thinking. I immersed myself in the understanding of these accelerated changes to reverse my intuitive vision of the future. It is a matter of disruption of the mental model. A workout to be done daily.
Exponential thinking is guided by the six D's that represent the journey of exponential digital technology, and that can help us to identify and anticipate disruptive trends. They are: digitization, which means that the information is manageable via computers and is available for access; deceptive, which is the initial stage of an exponential technology, still complex and little used; disruptive, it represents when the technological advance reaches a critical point that drastically surpasses the previous paradigm; dematerialized, items that were large and material now fit in the cloud or in the pocket; demonetized, the cost of producing the technology is so much cheaper than having the physical version of it the economies of scale associated with the use of sensors allow them to become fully accessible, democratization, the end of our exponential chain reaction, is what happens when physical objects are turned into bits and inserted into a digital platform in volumes so high that the cost approaches zero.
I put it all together and look at the agribusiness scene where I have been working for fourteen years. Today, inserted in the world of technology, for which I became an aficionado, I begin to question the current discourses on agribusiness 4.0, exponential technologies and disruption.
In biotechnology, we have advanced at an absurd speed in recent years. We have genetically modified plants that are already more resistant to pests or even water scarcity. Now we are talking about digital biology and the new possibilities of inserting circuits in the DNA of cells and bacteria, transforming them into biosensors capable of changing any type of water into drinking water. Or, or use of electrically active microbes as a source of energy and heat. Now we are also starting to talk about laboratory meat, made possible through animal stem cells and the manipulation of genetic engineering. And these are small examples of just what has been invested in research and development in the area.
We have also tested and can imagine a reprogramming of DNA, which will be present in the near future for humanity. In addition to the presence of robots in society, changing the way we do things and think about them.
All of this will impact us exponentially as humanity, breaking through the six exponential Ds, where the premise is that every human being will have access to the benefits of these disruptive technologies at the lowest possible cost.
Today we develop systems that allow the control of processes and their management in real time. We exchange information between machine and man in real time. But isn't that just the basics when it comes to business management? Do we use the full capacity that these data bring us?
We will still live a technology adoption curve. Culturally, agribusiness needs to evolve in investments in infrastructure and technology. Still in the basics, at the base of the pyramid. And here speaking from the connectivity infrastructure, to the software, their integration and the very mental model of the sector's entrepreneurs.
Connecting and managing data for decision making is, without a doubt, one of the most important decisions. And not just because of the competition prepared from foreign countries to operate in our country's agribusiness. But, mainly, due to so many logistical, financial and tax obstacles in our Brazilian scenario. We need to be efficient in management to improve the productivity and profitability of crops and agricultural businesses. But this is just the beginning of a much bigger change. The beginning of a path that we still don't know for sure where it will take us with all the exponential changes. But it is a right path.
How will we evolve disruptively by exchanging experiences between farmers around the world or by promoting good practices or by exchanging experiences globally? How will we produce more food without the scarcity of natural resources being a risk to humanity? Will we be able to take or produce food to feed people on the margins of poverty around the world? How will we digitize agribusiness information and democratize it? Would we be able to exchange information and learn with the entire world online? All of this will be feasible and will grow exponentially. After all, these technologies knock on our door to transform the world and solve humanity's products in an integrated and collaborative way. We are facing a scenario that the world has never seen. A scenario that generates a new era by breaking barriers and pushing people to action.
I am beginning to believe that agribusiness 4.0 is still the basic part of the digital transformation. The initial part of changing the linear mental model. The exponential technology of management in agribusiness is yet to come.
* Cíntia Leitão is Senior Systems Agribusiness Director
Warning: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
EN 
PT 
