Center of Science for Development in Digital Agriculture - CCD-AD/SemeAr

Abstract

Projections of world population show that there will be a greater demand for food, fiber and energy, requiring an increase in agricultural productivity, cost reduction and sustainable use of natural resources. In addition, factors such as changes in final consumer market habits, increased incidence of extreme weather events, the longevity of the urban population and the labor shortages in rural areas are challenges that have not yet been overcome. Thus, it is essential to consider the process of digital transformation in the countryside, with the introduction of equipment and sensors to collect and generate data in amounts that easily surpass the human processing capacity. The diversity of data that can be used in all links of the production chain, including pre-production, production (on-farm) and post-production, and the different scales to be considered, are relevant research challenges for Computer Science, which can contribute with innovative solutions through the adoption of techniques, methods and computational algorithms to manipulate and understand the interrelationship of these data in a more adequate, fast and efficient way, aiding farmers in the decision making process. However, in order to guarantee and expand Brazil's prominent position in the sustainable food, fiber and bioenergy markets, meeting the growing national and international demands for food, nutritional, socio-environmental and climate security, it is essential to overcome inequalities through efforts in research, development, innovation (RD&I), as well as through better technology dissemination among small and medium-sized producers. Some of these critical technologies for the digital transformation of agriculture are: edge/cloud computing, internet of things (IoT), media and social networks, big data, data science, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, robotics, ubiquitous connectivity, machine learning, digital twins, automation, biotechnology and bioinformatics, nanotechnology. From this perspective, RD&I associated with the use of digital technologies, targeting small and medium-sized producers, is justified by bringing opportunities to Brazilian agriculture in order to:* Insert producers into the ongoing digital transformation process, considering the regional diversity of production and natural resources;* Promote connectivity of electronic devices in the field, aiming to reduce implementation costs of digital technological assets;* Connect multiple actors in production chains to reduce transaction costs;*Integrate digital technologies into rural production processes in an effective and simple way, aiming to generate socio-economic impacts in the short and medium term;* Promote technological training and the sharing of knowledge and practices,to accelerate the adoption of digital technological assets by the markets;*Enable new business models and operations in the digital transformation process to attract investments for scalability;* Induce and strengthen models of sustainable intensification through integrated production systems, aiming at gains in agricultural efficiency and productivity.The project entitled "Science Center for Development in Digital Agriculture (CCD-AD/SemeAr)" is an integral part of a set of complementary actions in the "SemeAr" initiative. The SemeAr initiative aims to increase production and productivity in agribusiness in a more sustainable way on a national scale through the use of digital technologies and connectivity. (AU)