b'The Digital andFOR MILLENNIA,agriculture has been the basis of civi-lization. Despite its vital importance in providing humanity with food, shelter, culture, security, and even art and educa-Technologicaltion, today, it is an often woefully underappreciated sector that deserves much more recognition. Meanwhile, we are currently living in an era of digital revolu-tion that is redefining every part of the world around us. Thanks Revolution in LATAMto the incredible efforts and ingenuity of plant scientists, big data engineers, and those brave enough to imagine a different future, AI and other cutting-edge technologies are helping agriculture Ag: Are We Villainsproduce more and better than ever, dramatically improving food security. Now, thanks to the skill and expertise of geneticists and seed researchers, plant genes can be altered in a lab, reshap-ing crops to meet the needs of our expanding global popula-or Heroes? tion, even as the environmental stresses crops must withstand increase. Due to a constantly expanding understanding of agronomy and access to more efficient and resilient crops than ever, farmers can produce much more with much less: fewer Seed World LATAM sat down with Seedcrop inputs, less pesticides, yet dramatically more yield. Congress of the Americas presenter, CarlosHowever, average consumers remain mostly unaware and unengaged. Outside of agriculture, few people realize the incred-Becco, for a chat about how LATAMsible amount of science, technology, dedication, and inspiration seed sector is leading the way towards athat goes into producing the veggies they buy at the store. Even sustainable future.Elena Mansur more problematic, agricultural production is increasingly viewed with suspicion and mistrust, mistakenly turning its protagonistsfrom farmers to seed researchers to technologistsinto the villains of the narrative.16/ SEEDWORLD.COMLATAM'