Marking this year’s International Agronomist’s Day, we pay tribute to the work of agronomists across the globe, who collaborate with farmers to help improve crop health and productivity through sustainable practices.
In our efforts to shape more sustainable global supply chains, it is crucial that we forge trusted relationships with the farmers who are at the heart of food and agricultural chains. That’s why LDC’s dedicated agronomists work alongside farmers and their communities around the world, supporting them to improve farm production while conserving natural ecosystems.
As local experts who understand the climate and farming variables that affect each individual farm, our agronomists design tailor-made value propositions that support farmers in optimizing their crop yields while meeting sustainability goals – including through training on sustainable farming techniques, responsible use of pesticides and more. Through this work, often in collaboration with field partners, these agronomists can determine the health of a crop.
We caught up with two LDC agronomists in Latin America to talk about their work, relationship with farmers and vision for the future of food and agricultural production.
I start my day at 6am with a cup of coffee – and that always reminds me how valuable our producers are, what they stand for and how grateful I am for their enduring commitment to their work.Marcela Valencia Prado Sustainability Agronomist Lead, Colombia
Marcela works with coffee growers in southwestern Colombia, conducting field visits daily to ensure they receive constant support. Each visit has a specific objective, such as conducting soil diagnoses or following up on trials for new agricultural inputs.
Through these field visits, Marcela works with the coffee growers to devise an activity schedule that sets their farms on a path of continuous improvement, based on precise data, sound evidence and verifiable facts from recognized sources. She describes her interaction with farmers as a ‘dialogue of knowledge’, and emphasizes the importance of listening, as well as talking, in her work:
I listen to the coffee growers, recognizing their role in the value chain, while learning and sharing new information.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, Leandro is a specialist agronomist working on five LDC-managed orange and lemon farms; and his role as agronomist is to maintain the health of our local citrus groves.
This is no small task, considering that more than 50 different species of insects and mites can cause direct and indirect damage to Brazilian citrus plants. To counter the threats posed by these pests, Leandro prescribes appropriate biological management and phytosanitary treatments in line with LDC’s local Sustainability and Conservation Plans.
As agronomists, we are partners to the farmer, providing advice and insights that can help them make the most accurate management decisions.Leandro Francisco Alves Rodrigues Mourao Specialist Agronomist, Brazil
Leandro is also responsible for ensuring quality in agricultural operations related to plant health, which includes the calibration and adjustment of farming machinery used in the groves. He is in daily contact with grove farmers and, like Marcela, underlines the collaborative nature of his work relationship with them:
The agronomist’s knowledge of science and specific technologies enable him or her to advise farmers on the challenges they face in their production areas. On the other hand, farmers supply detailed, first-hand knowledge of day-to-day experiences on the farm, which in turn helps to inform and refine the agronomist’s advice.
Looking to the future, Leandro is enthusiastic about the role that new technologies will play for industry sustainability. Citrus fruit production processes have progressively improved through the harnessing of data analyses, biological inputs, automation, machine vision technology and artificial intelligence. He sees an increase in the quality of fruit produced, as well as reduced expenses, resource usage and environmental impacts.
But technology alone will not secure a sustainable and resilient future of food. Achieving that long-term ambition also requires an enduring commitment to empowering farmers, and a passion to protect the environment – both of which we are central to LDC’s sustainability roadmap.
As we celebrate International Agronomist’s Day 2024, we salute the agronomists around the world who are harnessing science, technology, expertise and the power of collaboration toward shared goals, to promote farming practices that can improve farmers’ livelihoods while also reducing carbon emissions from agriculture and preserving soil quality, for the benefit of current and future generations.
