WHY IS EMBRACING LIMITATIONS KEY TO A PROSPEROUS AGRO-INDUSTRY?
by dr. Nimrod
I’m not Superman, and neither are you. No one can do everything. We all have our limitations. Technological solutions have limitations, and Technology itself is limited as well.
Limitations are neither good nor bad; they are part of our life facts and reality. We desire to improve, which causes us to reach better alternatives whenever we confront a limit.
Note that what is triggering our search for a better solution is our understanding that things will not work better for us under the current situation.
In short; no limitations, no improvements.
WHY DO I LOVE LIMITATIONS?
I love looking for current limitations. I know that we will jump forward by providing a solution to cross them.
We will provide proper solutions to smallholders and the entire agro-industry in emerging economies
by getting over current limitations.
Generally, there are three categories: product, process, and business model innovation. The innovation of the Freedome Technology, the FFCTZ protocol, and the Dream Valley National Export Program (i.e., Dream Valley) address three limitations smallholders in emerging economies face.
In my journey, I first had to recognize a limit/limitation, and only then was I able to provide a solution.
GLOBAL CHALLENGE
One of the oldest and most painful GLOBAL challenges is poverty among smallholders in emerging economies.
For decades, we have been trying to tackle this challenge by improving the Technology smallholders have access to.
In short, we expect Technology to solve poverty for us.
But is this a realistic expectation in light of the professional and business poor results and the growing number of smallholders in poverty?
Is it possible that Technology alone, no matter how good it is, will not solve the global challenge of poverty? And, if this is the case, then what will?
THE GREATEST LIMITATION
The most significant limitation we face is that of ourselves – to observe our own limitations.
We are so sure in what we do that we have no doubt we are on the right trucks to success. This is even more extreme if you are “experts.”
Nokia didn’t see (on time) the limitations of the technologies and concepts they were using. They remained oblivious to the fact that their solutions were obsolete. The result was their super-fast disappearance.
Remember this, when it comes to seeing limitations and needing to develop or switch to something else; we are our worst enemies.
Was Technology, finance, or lack of experts the most significant limitations of Nokia, or was it something else?
DISSONANCE
We expect science and technology to solve all of our problems, including smallholders and the agro-industry in emerging economies.
When that doesn’t work the way we expect, we blindly continue pushing the same way, the same direction, as if the next time will perform better than the thousand times preceded.
It is time to internalize; TECHNOLOGY can’t solve everything. It is time we ask, “What should WE do differently?”
FIRST ORGANIZATION THAN TECH
Landing on the moon was probably humankind’s most technical challenge and achievement until today.
Interestingly, J.F. Kennedy, in his iconic “Go to the Moon” speech on September 12th, 1962, emphasizes other matters than Technology.
“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
JFK understood too well that to reach the stars; you start by focusing on yourself, organization, skills, abilities, and challenges.
You need to want to reach the stars, and you need to measure your activities and overcome the unknown limits in front of you.
Take JFK’s speech and switch “moon” with “poverty .”Do you see “technology”?
In the end, technological solutions are tools. The challenge has always been to improve ourselves and our organization level.
PARADIGM SHIFT
Technology, finance, access to market, knowledge, etc., are problems, but not The Root Cause of poverty and undeveloped agro-industry!
The Root Cause is, always was, and will be – ORGANIZATION and related issues.
The difference between countries and farmers is no longer Technology, which is equally available to all.
Differences in the success of the agro-industry are due to non-technological elements, which we call “The Business Envelope.”
The Business Envelope is the chief responsible for industries’ prosperity, and is reflected in “Soft” topics, such as –
Culture – relations, business values, work relations, mutual trust, transparency of activities, collaboration, etc.
Environment – business structure, regulatory, financial, national, and international agreements, operational infrastructure, value chain, etc.
Ecosystem – way of doing business, network, investors, technologies usage, workforce, skills leading global experts, etc.
You can’t develop a prosperous agro-industry without giving full attention and developing the Business Envelope.
In Dream Valley, the Business Envelope is part of The Agricultural Package.
Like the Package itself, the Business Envelope needs to be tailor-made based on the needs and requirements of the country and industry.
Unlike “technology,” the quality of the Business Envelop is in the hands of the local leadership.
It requires “only” the desire and strong will of leaders, stakeholders, and policymakers to drive and make structural and managerial long-term changes.
Remember the Go To The Moon speech by J.F. Kennedy? It is all about leadership.
Let this not confuse you; Technology is essential for progress. But, to maximize the business potential of advanced technologies, we must first have at our disposal a well-developed Business Envelope.
Undeveloped Business Envelope is The Root Cause for the undeveloped agro-industry in emerging economies, hence, poverty, hunger, etc.
EXAMPLES
A positive example of a healthy and vibrant ecosystem would be the Hi-Tech sector in Israel.
Although Israel is far from the global markets, its population is small, and the labor cost is high, Israel developed an advanced “Business Envelop” for its Hi-Tech industry community.
As a result of a developed Business Envelope to Israel’s Hi-Tech industry, in 2021, Israel is ahead of China in the number of Unicorns and second only to the USA.
Israel now has more new unicorns than China. Wow
| A negative example would naturally include emerging economies with a substantial rate of poverty, where wealth does not trickle down to the people.Such countries failed to develop an advanced “Business Envelope” that would enable prosperity to a large portion of their population. Bonus example: in the early 1970s and ’80s, when Israel wanted to improve its hi-tech capabilities further, it attracted Intel, with benefits of $ billions, to build FABs and R&D centers in Israel.That was one of the most brilliant things Israel did, at that time, for its young hi-tech industry. This way, Israel further improved its business envelope to benefit its entrepreneurs and business community.The collateral impact of that advanced national investment was immense. It included rapid growth in hi-tech employment, skills build-up, export of goods, and other benefits to the Israeli economy.Above all, it profoundly impacted the Israeli hi-tech Culture, Environment, and Ecosystem. BUSINESS ENVELOPELet’s think about the business sector as a living organism. The operating bodies, companies, employees, and investors are like its body parts, and the Business Envelope is the “soul” that breathes life into it.Like in a human body, the “soul” is not found in one organ or another but only in the whole living body.The Dream Valley program emphasizes that although technologies are essential and central to the agro-industry business success, they are only part of The Agricultural Package.It’s time to internalize that Technology alone is doomed to fail in bringing prosperity and progress to the agro-industry of emerging economies (like it did until now).Dream Valley’s Agriculture Package contains a Business Envelope, which needs to be tailor-made per country and program to suit specific needs and requirements.An agro-industry is as strong as its Agricultural Package and the Business Envelope it contains.There is a need for a brave visionary national leadership that is ready to implement long-term strategic plans and embark on a journey for a better future. This is why Dream Valley’s full name is Dream Valley National Export Program. Dream Valley is about to do to the agro-sector in emerging economies what Intel did to the Israeli technological hi-tech sector. IN SUMMARY, openly acknowledging limitations, including that of us and technologies, provides us the freedom to look for the Root Cause responsible for the inhibition of the agro-industry in emerging economies.When we “let go” of the notion that Technology is the main obstacle to prosperity, we note the importance of the Business Envelope, culture, environment, ecosystem in forming the foundation for any thriving industry/sector, including agro-industry.Advancing and developing the Business Envelop is a task for the national economic/financial, business, professional, social, and spiritual leadership. |
| TAKEAWAYS» TECHNOLOGIES alone can’t and wouldn’t solve any global problem, including agro-industry in emerging economies.» THE FOUNDATION for a thriving sector is a well-developed and advanced Business Envelop. Technologies come second.» BUSINESS ENVELOP includes “soft’ topics, such as Culture, Environment, and Ecosystem, which combine to form the “Soul” of an industry.» A DEVELOPED BUSINESS ENVELOPE – translates into leadership, export, a robust economy, and prosperity. |
| If you enjoyed the article please share it with friends & colleagues |
