Bio-inputs for agriculture in Brazil: why can’t the alternative become mainstream?

Bioinsumos para agricultura no Brasil: por que o alternativo não se torna dominante?

Bio-input technology can help reduce the health and ecosystemic risks posed by the Brazilian agricultural sector. From the Sociotechnical Transitions perspective, this paper maps the regulatory environment and the bio-inputs market, identifying key components of the process of inserting this technology into the mainstream regime. Despite growing at high rates, this technology remains a niche market and faces serious barriers due to a lack of coordination. However, our projections indicate the feasibility of a scenario in which bio-inputs would hold a much larger share of the agricultural inputs market, provided there is regulatory and technological coordination.

KEYWORDS:
Bio-inputs; technological regime; sociotechnical transitions; agriculture; sustainability