We need to talk about the biotech revolution

Throughout history, humanity's economic and social development has always occurred through revolutions. The first of them, agricultural, which took place 10 thousand years BC, enabled the migration of the hunting and gathering system to agriculture, similar to the food cultivation we know today. Three centuries ago, it was the turn of the industrial sector, which completely changed production processes, making consumer goods more accessible to everyone. More recently, we experienced technology, which provided greater interactivity and access to information, enhancing globalization.

In addition to promoting various economic, productive and social improvements, all these revolutions have one thing in common: nature has always been harmed, leaving it in a worse situation than before. All links in the chain were well remunerated, with the exception of the environment, which was continually degraded over the years. Therefore, without truly sustainable processes, many of the gains achieved by humanity may be compromised. And in a short time.

As incredible as it may seem, the answer to “correct” this problem is a new revolution: biotechnology, which consists of using the intelligence of nature itself, through the selection of living microorganisms, which are not harmful to fauna and flora, and found in a spontaneous in nature, to replace current production processes.

But how is this possible? With a lot of technology, research and development. There is a series of “good bacteria” that can supply, with equal or greater efficiency, any type of production developed in the world today.

For each existing production process, it is possible to develop in the laboratory a combination of microorganisms that can perform the same activity, with the advantage of not harming or even bringing gains to the ecosystem, in addition to reducing the time spent carrying out certain activities, avoiding use of chemical components, simply increasing the productivity of food crops, among other benefits. All this with a more advantageous cost-benefit ratio.

A good example is agriculture. With the same cost, it is possible to replace chemical fertilizers with biotechnological fertilizers and, in the short and medium term, achieve productivity gains above 30%, as well as higher quality crops. And the soil becomes even richer, maintaining the sustainability of the process, because the microorganisms embedded in the fertilizer allow the plants to make better use of the nutrients, simultaneously helping the plantation and the land.

Another practical use can be seen in the elimination of waste. Whether they are generated as a result of production processes, in the clean-up of water or contaminated soil, or even in the treatment of effluents. Many bacteria have the power to consume all types of unwanted material, eliminating the need to harm the environment much more quickly than conventional methods. And best of all, transforming this waste into CO2 and water. It is a literal self-remediation of nature.

To get an idea of ​​their effectiveness, sets of microorganisms can reduce the amount of organic material in effluent lagoons from the paper and cellulose industry from 21 to 7,5 tons, completely eliminate waste from restaurant grease traps, abolishing constant need for cleaning, sending previously treated water to the sewage system, or even getting rid of the waste that remains in factory machines and pipes, avoiding downtime and, consequently, significant losses.

Biotechnology, therefore, is a great investment for the future. The revolution has already begun, it is happening and growing every year. Being part of this movement today may still sound like something optional, but, in a very short time, there will be no other option. More than a market requirement, prioritizing sustainability will be a necessity for the planet, not just to remain competitive – after all, that is the least of the problems. Without replacing current production processes, the planet will not be able to meet the continuous demand for resources – some of which are already scarce.

Prosperity for the next generations necessarily depends on biotechnology. For the good of all. The sooner this becomes a common and basic practice throughout the chain, the faster and greater the benefits will be. For all.