A study coordinated by Agroicone, with the collaboration of researchers from the GPP/Esalq, analyzed several successful cases of innovation in agriculture implemented in Brazil in recent decades. Published in February, “Investigating pathways for agricultural innovation at scale: Case studies from Brazil” sought to delimit the key success factors for scale gains and sustainable agricultural innovation in the face of the challenges of economic development allied to environmental conservation.
The solutions pointed out by the research combine the work of consolidated institutions, public policies, rural extension services and the engagement of farmers. Among the key factors are innovative technological solutions suitable for each context; partnerships between public and private organizations and rural producers; leadership, especially at the beginning of the process; and strong institutions capable of giving continuity to the projects.
The Agroicone survey is part of a series of studies also carried out in India and Kenya at the initiative of CoSAI (Commission on Sustainable Agriculture Intensification).
In the research on the Brazilian experience, Embrapa's “Balde Cheio Program” was analyzed; the “One Land and Two Waters Program (P1+2)”, created in 2007 by the Brazilian Semi-Arid Articulation (ASA); Agrosmart's digital irrigation monitoring system “Aqua”; and the adoption of the ILPF system (Lavoura Pecuária Floresta Integration), initiated by Embrapa in the 1980s.