Although it has gained increasing prominence in the contemporary scenario, food security is a centuries-old topic, fostered by fundamental discussions of human existence since the twentieth century.

Currently, this concept goes beyond ensuring that food production covers national demand, having ramifications in the most diverse spheres of the world scenario. Food security crosses social, economic and political topics. Because its control is essential to the guarantee of life, food security is in line with the principles of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Today, more than ever, ensuring the production and distribution of food is a top priority.

In less than two years, the population faced two major global barriers to food production. After the end of the most critical stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine destabilized the world. The scenario – of threats and real impacts on food security – has been based on the use of technologies to avoid the lack of food on the people's table.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the impact on the food sector has clearly manifested itself. The compromise of commodity supply, especially in the European market, has been one of the most latent effects of the war. "The media reveals the lack of food in various places. Often, it is not the complete scarcity of an item that occurs, but the decreased availability of that item. Some countries faced, in the first months, the lack of wheat, for example", points out Vinícius Melo, Commercial Director of Valley.

Global agribusiness depends largely on the distribution of oil and fertilizers, which also suffers the impact of the conflict between these two important players. About 23% of the fertilizers imported by Brazil are of Russian origin. In addition to the insums and grains, the conflict poses a threat to the production of other important commodities, such as sugar, cotton, coffee and cocoa.

"We are already experiencing a time of food shortages, which is easily proven by global inflation data. This rise in prices is the result of a chain reaction. For example, chloride is missing, fertilizer is missing. Vital insums are missing. The producer is paying more in what is available here in Brazil, and this will reflect the increase in the price of food", explains Vinícius.

In the face of challenges, irrigation proves to be a powerful ally for ensuring global food security. The possibilities brought by its use in agriculture go far beyond more profit and profitability for the producer. The applied use of technology can be the most efficient and important way for the most important mission of agribusiness: to meet the global demand for food production, which is increasing.

Central pivot irrigation enables the same area to achieve up to 30% more productivity, in addition to ensuring an additional harvest per year with the same crops. According to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), irrigated agriculture represents 17% of agriculture and produces approximately 40% of the world's food production. Irrigators make it possible to circumvent the physical limitations for the growth of agriculture and produce more in less time.

Moreover, amid the obstacles resulting from the war, Latin America emerges as the ideal scenario to sustain global food production and strengthen global food security. A conjuncture of physical and biological factors, together with irrigation, can consolidate the region as the "Productive Barn of the World", responsible for a large portion of the food produced.

"The humid climate of Latin America, associated with irrigation and soil fertility in this region, enables the production of five harvests in two years. This is the only place in the world where that's possible. Here, technology and climate complement each other, forming a productive force that can undoubtedly ensure the availability of food," he says.

Enabling a direct productive increase of about 30%, irrigation is one of the keys to ensuring the strengthening of Latin agricultural production during a period of uncertainty and scarcity. With technology, science and hard work, the industry is able to face all adversities and ensure that there is no lack of food on the consumer's plate.

Source: Agrolink