Modern Agriculture: Integration of Economic Efficiency, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Sustainability

In a report by the German Ministry of Education and Research in 2013, the term Industry 4.0 was coined by the German Ministry of Education to establish guidelines for the German industry in an intelligent and connected world (Kagermann et al., 2013; Albiero et al., 2020). Industry 4.0 regards to the integration of the physical, digital, and biological worlds, based on technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), synthetic biology, cyber-physical systems, end-to-end engineering, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These technologies have been extensively adopted since the 2000s and have become the basis for decision-making process in various sectors, including Agriculture. Analogous to Industry 4.0, the term Agriculture 4.0 emerged, also known as Digital Agriculture or Smart Farms (Albiero et al., 2020).

Since the Agricultural Revolution, around 10,000 BC, agriculture has undergone significant changes, culminating in Agriculture 4.0 (Albiero et al., 2020; Huang et al., 2017; Ragazou et al., 2022). Digital technologies have revolutionized this activity and are therefore the driving force behind Agriculture 4.0, especially through elements such as the IoT, Big Data, Ubiquitous Connectivity and AI, capable of optimizing production methods in rural areas (Albiero et al., 2020). However, even Agriculture 4.0 is a phenomenon in transition.

In Agriculture 4.0, technologies and practices are oriented towards improving productive and economic results, distributed among the actors involved in the production chain (Ragazou et al., 2022). Precision agriculture, information management systems, agricultural robotics and automation, for example, aim to minimize the use of resources to strictly necessary levels, mapping and managing production areas and crops, and parameterizing machine routes to reduce harvesting time and fuel consumption. These measures are part of a cost reduction strategy for producers and increasing productivity (Ragazou et al., 2022; Horlings and Marsden, 2011).

However, global challenges and demands for agriculture have intensified and become more complex, not limited to just productive and economic aspects. Agriculture will be responsible for feeding a population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050 (Horlings and Marsden, 2011) and must fulfill this task in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner. However, the activity is responsible for about 20% to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and most of the world’s water consumption (Fraser and Campbell, 2019; Godfray et al., 2010). Antibiotics and pesticides used on a large scale may result in the emergence of more resistant bacteria and pests, as well as the pollution of rivers and groundwater, harming biodiversity. Additionally, waste throughout the food system, which accounts for about 30% of total production (Fraser and Campbell, 2019; Godfray et al., 2010), is a significant problem to be addressed.

Therefore, agriculture will need to significantly increase its production and productivity while reducing waste levels (Fraser & Campbell, 2019; Horlings and Marsden, 2011), minimizing anthropogenic effects on nature, environmental degradation and ensuring decent working and subsistence conditions for rural producers (Horlings and Marsden, 2011). These should be the guiding principles of modern agriculture.

It is in this context that a new phase of the agricultural revolution has been developing, called Agriculture 5.0. As it is a phenomenon under construction, the concept of Agriculture 5.0 does not yet have a precise definition but also derives from the concept of Industry 5.0, established by the European Commission in 2021 in response to trends such as rapid population growth, climate change, reduction in agricultural land, and depletion of natural resources. This new paradigm is characterized by the development, diffusion, and direction of technology to achieve productive and economic goals while contributing to the improvement of climate, environmental and social scenarios, in an integrated manner. Therefore, it is a concept that encompasses current issues, such as changes in dietary habits, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, access to technologies and the use of clean and renewable energies. Table 1 presents a comparison of the main characteristics of agriculture throughout its evolution.

Table 1 – Characteristics of Agriculture evolution

Source: based on Albiero et al. (2020), Fraser & Campbell (2019), Horlings & Marsden (2011) and Ragazou et al. (2022)

There are many transformations in agriculture, and they are likely to intensify over the years to overcome new challenges. Particularly in Brazil, due to its continental size, diversity of climates and soil quality, as well as social disparities and productive heterogeneity, farmers in various stages of agricultural evolution coexist. Some utilize autonomous machinery, remote sensing, precision agriculture, and sustainable production practices, while others still rely on manual labor, rudimentary production techniques, and lack access to technologies. Thus, reducing these disparities and adapting efficient and effective technologies to the diverse production contexts and producer profiles constitute the main challenge to be overcome, but also represent significant potential advancement for Brazilian agriculture. Figure 1 presents the Agricultural Modernization Index for Brazilian micro-regions in 2006 and 2017, demonstrating regional disparities and temporal evolution.

Figure 1 – Agricultural Modernization Index of Brazilian microregions (2006 – 2017)

Source: based on Silva & Lisbinski (2023)

The regions with the most modern agriculture continue to be represented by the Brazilian Center-South, although there have been advancements in areas that are part of the new agricultural frontiers between 2006 and 2017. Nevertheless, significant parts of the North and Northeast regions lack the same structures and opportunities present in other regions to reach their full potential. To address this, several trends need to become part of the lives of producers, consumers, and governments over the coming years in Brazil and worldwide:

* Increasing production while reducing environmental footprint.

* Balancing technological advancements, social aspects (such as access to markets and technologies and different production contexts), ensuring food security and promoting diversity in rural areas.

* Minimizing food waste in line with the pursuit of food security.

* Reassessing and changing consumption habits, prioritizing healthy products based on renewable resources.

In Agriculture 5.0, technologies are a means rather than an end, and the central objectives encompass economic aspects integrated with social and environmental factors. Thus, technology developed and oriented towards these objectives will help us overcome many of the challenges foreseen for agriculture and humanity in the near future. In Brazil, in particular, technological advancement must be accompanied by the diffusion and democratic access to producers, aiming to reduce both regional and social economic disparities.

References

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