Are we in just another downward agricultural cycle or is it more than that..
Have we learned from the recent cycles of agricultural boom to busts and consolidations as has been evidenced recently in the wine industry.
The agricultural market cycle of:
- Explorers - the first subsistence farmers
- Innovators - the first irrigators
- Colonization - opportunists, entrepreneurs, processors
- Sustainers - the evolutionary phase of industry change
- Extinction - organic or inorganic death.
I put forward this cycle as I believe the irrigation and water industry is currently at a critical phase of sustain or become extinct. I for one don't want to be the latter.
The trick for water and irrigation looking forward is to ensure we all look at sustainability being part of the core of our being/business. The carbon tax debate is a typical example of this. Most people turn off when they hear "tax", however the point is our current practice is unsustainable for future generations.
The sustainable stage will either produce new evolutions or if we are not careful extinction.
Industry paradigm shifts (disruptions) are likely to occur as the sustainers find and explore new ways to do things.
Some examples of sustainers are people/companies who:
- Understand well their people, place and environment footprints to create "true" sustainability.
- Their target market, channels and demand cycles.
- Their operational processes and efficiencies.
- Encircle themselves with knowledge clusters that help each other.
- Reinvest in people, place and environment.
We have ancient reminders in the forms of the Egyptians and Mayan Indians who ended up virtually extinct, these were advanced civilizations but maybe did not evolve at some stage from sustainers back to innovators ? Are we on a similar path but on a much larger scale as we become more reliant on fossil fuel (plastics technologies with low recyclable components) being consumed at alarming rates?
An early Egyptian irrigation method
Do we use the term innovators too easily....??? your thoughts please.