Hidroponia no Brasil: inovação tecnológica na produção e mercado de hortaliças

Abstract

In the context of horticulture, there is great optimism about the future of hydroponics due to its advantages in the dimensions of production and market, projecting growth of this technology. The convergence between demands in the broad global agrifood context and hydroponics potentials presents a field of study little explored. Thus, the guiding questions of this work emerge, seeking to understand what guides and conditions the rise of hydroponics in the vegetable production chain in Brazil, as well as what are the ways to develop and to strengthen this activity at the national and regional level? The purpose of this dissertation is to address hydroponic cultivation as a technological innovation in vegetable production and markets, thus three chapters focused on the study of hydroponics in the Brazilian reality were elaborated. The first one is a bibliographical research that uses the notion of technological change and diffusion to understand the components of the hydroponics rise in the Productive Chain of Vegetables (CPHort), identifying factors inducing, conditioning and impacts of the innovative process. The second chapter evaluates the competitiveness of hydroponics in the production of vegetables, building an array of Forces, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT Matrix) from information collected in the field and in bibliographic sources. The third chapter follows the notion of Technological Innovation System (SIT), having as data source the main scientific event and the main publication related to hydroponics in Brazil to present the structure, functional dynamics and analysis of hydroponics development in the country. The results show that the emergence and growth of hydroponics are due to technological supply and demand for solutions in agricultural production. The functions of generation and diffusion of knowledge, research direction and entrepreneurial activities are important inducers of hydroponics growth in Brazil, stimulating learning processes, building networks of exchanges and technological advances. The market competitiveness of hydroponics also boosts its growth, by the efficiency in the use of factors of production, high productivity, quality gains, logistics and increasing appreciation by consumers. Infrastructural aspects gain relevance in the strategic positioning, due to the dependence of external resources for production. Market structuring is also important because high investment values, fixed capital and production costs in the face of price competition may threaten economic viability. The practical contributions are the reach of information such as the potential social impacts of hydroponics, pertinent to rural extension services. The SWOT matrix contributes to the guidance of producers and stakeholders for safer investments. The identification of the SIT development phase, mechanisms and functionalities related to its growth, improve the base of research, investments and initiatives aimed at the hydroponic sector. The theoretical contributions are the analysis of hydroponics as technological innovation and the notion of SIT, allowing the understanding of its technological trajectory until today, and the planning of its future. Also, the evaluation of the competitiveness of hydroponics contributed the knowledge of its market performance, currently a research gap. The limitations of the study are restrictions imposed by the major use of bibliographical sources in obtaining the research data.