ENTREVISTA A CARLOS BUZIO
Access to new technologies is vital for growers

In an interview, Carlos Buzio, president of CropLife Latin America talks with the Costa Rican daily newspaper, La República, about the importance to the country of innovation in the agricultural sector, market diversification, the investment in production technologies, and good agricultural practices, among other topics.

Access to new technologies is vital for growers, states Carlos Buzio, agricultural expert and President of CropLife Latin America. acceso a nuevas tecnologías es vital para productores, afirma Carlos Buzio,
experto agrícola y Presidente de CropLife Latin America.

How important is innovation to the agricultural sector?
It is vital. The global demand for food increases constantly and the amount of land available for production is limited. Faced with this reality, the use of innovation in the agricultural sector represents an opportunity to increase productivity per hectare.

Is innovation something that is pending in Costa Rica?
It depends on the sector. In those that are related to export agriculture, there is generally a good use of modern technologies, specifically of pesticides. However, Costa Rican farmers lose competitiveness in the region because almost no new products have been registered in the last five years. There is a backlog of 135 products that could be used.

Has the country modernized its production capacity?
Definitely, especially in sectors that grow crops mainly for export. In the area of inputs, the market offers a great variety of products that are environmentally friendly and effective at controlling pests. .

Should it invest in new production technologies?
No doubt about it. Agriculture is a science and it is made more efficient with technology. It is necessary to innovate, and not only with respect to inputs. It is necessary to improve all the infrastructure and regulations that could be limiting its potential.

Would market diversification improve the sustainability of the sector?
Yes, evidently not only from a commercial perspective (don’t put all your eggs in one basket to avoid price and market risks), but also from the perspectives of the environment, soil conservation and pest management.

Are good agricultural practices with respect to agrochemicals used in Costa Rica?
Yes, although there is no doubt this needs to improve. There are many positive examples: Costa Rica is a top exporter of banana, coffee, ornamentals, pineapple, milk and biotechnology (although only in seed exports). However, the State and the companies face significant challenges to training a lot of farmers, especially small and medium-scale farmers.

All the stakeholders in the agricultural production chain need to be committed because this is an area of shared responsibility. It doesn’t depend only on the farmer, but also on the input distributors, the authorities, the transporters, and of course the manufacturers. In Costa Rica, we work with CuidAgro, a training program in responsible pesticide use that works in 18 countries throughout Latin America.

What is CropLife Latin America?
It is a non-profit trade organization that represents the crop science industry. It is formed by eight companies and 21 associations in 18 countries from the region.