Innovation Ecosystems and Agriculture 4.0: Paths to Socioeconomic Sustainability in the São Francisco Valley
Innovation Ecosystems and Agriculture 4.0: Paths to Socioeconomic Sustainability in the São Francisco Valley
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51473/rcmos.v1i2.2025.1437Keywords:
Agriculture 4.0; Innovation; Territorial Development; Agroecology; São Francisco Valley.Abstract
The advancement of Agriculture 4.0 has significantly transformed production systems worldwide, introducing digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, remote sensing, and the Internet of Things (IoT) as strategic tools to enhance efficiency, traceability, and sustainability in agricultural processes. In Brazil, this trend has gained particular relevance in the São Francisco Valley, a region consolidated as a hub for irrigated agriculture, especially fruit farming for export. However, despite the potential for innovation and modernization, challenges remain regarding the socio-economic inclusion of small farmers, the democratization of access to technology, and the reconciliation of technological innovation with agroecological practices. This article analyzes, in light of the literature on innovation ecosystems and territorial development, the opportunities and limitations of Agriculture 4.0 in the São Francisco Valley, considering the role of universities, research centers, the State, private companies, and civil society in shaping collaborative institutional arrangements. The methodological approach is qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive, supported by bibliographic and documentary review, in addition to applied studies in the Brazilian Semi-arid region. The results discuss how agricultural digitalization can contribute to productivity gains, environmental sustainability, and value generation in global supply chains, while emphasizing the need to promote social inclusion and territorial justice. It is argued that only through the consolidation of strong and integrated innovation ecosystems will it be possible to transform the São Francisco Valley into a living laboratory of Agriculture 4.0, combining technological efficiency with socio-economic sustainability.
Downloads
References
ALTIERI, M. A. Agroecologia: bases científicas para uma agricultura sustentável. São Paulo: Expressão Popular, 2012.
BARDIN, L. Análise de conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições 70, 2011.
CARAYANNIS, E.; CAMPBELL, D. Mode 3 knowledge production in quadruple helix innovation systems. Springer, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2062-0
CAROLAN, M. Digitization and the future of agriculture: a critical review of data assemblages. Journal of Rural Studies, v. 79, p. 195–204, 2020.
CASSIOLATO, J. E.; LASTRES, H. M. M. Sistemas de inovação e desenvolvimento: as implicações de política. São Paulo: Editora UFRJ, 2008.
EMBRAPA. Inovação e sustentabilidade na agricultura irrigada do Vale do São Francisco. Brasília: Embrapa, 2020.
GLIESSMAN, S. R. Agroecology: the ecology of sustainable food systems. 3. ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/b17881
KLERKX, L.; JAKKU, E.; LABARTHE, P. A review of social science on digital agriculture, smart farming and agriculture 4.0. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, v. 90–91, p. 100315, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2019.100315
MINAYO, M. C. S. O desafio do conhecimento: pesquisa qualitativa em saúde. São Paulo: Hucitec, 2012.
SILVA, R. J.; OLIVEIRA, F. S.; PEREIRA, M. M. Agricultura digital e desigualdades no campo brasileiro. Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural, v. 60, n. 2, p. 245–263, 2022.
WOLFERT, S.; GE, L.; VERVOORT, J.; JONGEN, W. Big data in smart farming – a review. Agricultural Systems, v. 153, p. 69–80, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.01.023
YIN, R. K. Estudo de caso: planejamento e métodos. 5. ed. Porto Alegre: Bookman, 2015.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rodrigo Almeida Ferreira (Autor)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means you are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
The use of this material is conditioned upon proper attribution to the original author(s), providing a link to the license, and indicating if changes were made. The license does not require permission from the author or the publisher as long as these conditions are met.
The Creative Commons license logo is displayed permanently in the footer of the journal.
The copyright of the manuscript can be retained by the authors without restrictions and can be requested at any time, even after publication in the journal.
