Monsanto is No. 39 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list
(Originally published onmonsantoblog.eu)
In early MarchLeticia Gonalves, President of Monsanto for Europe & Middle East, presented at theWomen in Data Science (WiDS) Madridin Spainit is a conference that brings togetherwomenfrom the technological, business, institutional and social fields. The conference aims to not only inspire female talent in technical disciplines but also to explore the latest data science innovations and applications in Spain and Europe.
The following is a short Q & A with Leticia.
What led you to participate in the WiDS congress
I think it is a great opportunity to connect with leaders of the technological and scientific sector, and to understand how companies are incorporating digital transformation in their businesses; thanks to the application of new technologies and data science.
In addition, it is also an opportunity to learn about innovations and opportunities in the digital world. At the same time, I have been able to share developments that we are carrying out in Monsanto.
How is Monsanto tackling data science in their business operations
Data sciencehas been in the center of our company’s transformation in the last few years especially in R&D, supply chain and commercial functions.
We use data analysis in the discovery phase of our R&D to drive many of our technology platforms, including RNAi technology, greenhouse automation, metabolomics and automated screening.
When our research scientists plant trials to see how a seed performs in the field, our technology makes recommendations on where to plant to obtain the best outcomes. Throughout the growing season, our mobile tools and smart devices collect data on what is being planted, where it is being planted and how it is being managed. Then, during harvest, our technology streams and analyses yield data directly from the combine.
We are using data science to create an end-to-end supply chain and commercial transformation with improved strategies, processes, tools and systems by using data science to create efficiencies and bettercustomer experiences.
What benefits can the application of these technologies have in the global supply chain
The global supply chain has benefited quite successfully from the analysis to improve its own efficiency and processes, beingcritical for the success of our enterprise. It has the task of taking each seed, or each unit or byte of the raw material with which we work and converting them to a more useful form.
An example of a technology that has worked very well for us is climate-smart logistics, where we established what we call the Transportation Management Solution (TMS). This includes a combination of real-time monitoring, automation of processes, analytics-based decision making and standardization of tools and processes. This allows us to consolidate some routes and optimize the efficiency of others.
In Brazil alone, the first year helped us reduce our total vehicles’ travel in kilometers by more than 2.25 million. Our corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions exceeded 2,500 tons and the implementation of TMS has been so successful that the supply chain is rolling out the program around the world.
How does data science contribute to more sustainable agriculture
Farmers have the important task of sustainably addressing a growing food demand in an environment of increasinglylimited resources. Each crop is different, and each field or piece of land is unique. However, using our digital tools throughout the year, we can help farmers make the most appropriate decisions to optimize the use of key resources such as water, land or energy.
In this way, we help farmers to face their challenge of being able to produce more from every drop of water, square meter of land or unit of energy. It is what we call “precision agriculture”.
What social impact does data science have on agri-food production
We cooperate with farmers, regardless of the size of their farms, large or small, as all farmers face the same challenges; andaim tobe profitable and sustainable in their operations. Smaller farmers need as much precision as possible in their field management, and access to digital tools is neutral with respect to the size of their farms.
In addition, we partner on data management to seamlessly collect, store and visualize critical field data monitor and measure the impact of farmers’ agronomic decisions on crop yields, and manage field variability through elaboration of personalized fertilization, irrigation and sowing plans for farmers’ fields.
