The common good, the greatest benefit to society

Along my career, and often in my daily life, people near me ask questions about why I have this lifestyle.

I must confess that one of the engines that drive this pace is to earn the right to criticism, but still there are many reasons. The commitment is big and the expectations from the guild, from my people and especially from my family, are the ones who put everything in perspective.

The reason why I bring this up, is because I analyze the small role I get to play and, like many of you are leading your companies, the right performance takes a decision, strong commitment and of course, some costs and personal sacrifices. What makes me compare and sometimes I find myself questioning the leaders of this country: ¿Who, in its right mind, would want to be a politician, leader or public servant?

It would seem that today, in society there is no way to create a state of conformity. No doubt, the challenges we face in our country, society, guild and communities are vast and complex, certainly none will be easy or quick to respond to, but at what point will we recognize a positive progress.

Today, we demand that our governors are perfect individuals, people who always have the correct statement, with perfect families, and whose children never make it in the news, in the socials section, God forbid…

However, this request would come from an imperfect society, which might not always be willing to work for the common good, from each of the small power groups that may correspond.

Could the decisions of our businesses influence sector policies? Do we apply the common good principle in such decisions?

We would have to ask ourselves, as entrepreneurs, leaders, parents or active members of a society: the decisions we have to make, do they influence positively the common good? Or is it that sometimes we take measures that are a little selfish, caring for personal, institutional or guild interests?

Much is said about the critical situation of the produce markets, where problems such as overproduction, lack of market order, logistics insufficiency or in sum, lack of business intelligence are identified.

While theories could make sense, the fact is that individually, no one is taking the initiative to find a solution.

Maybe, deep down we are looking wishing authorities or guilds to generate an immediate solution. But what will happen when, the not-so-respected already, "daddy government” promotes a solution, surely this would be evaluated based on the damages and benefits, personal, institutional or particular of a guild, and even if the alternative is the right one for the industry, it would certainly be subject to strong criticism until it is torn apart.

Let’s consider for a moment the state of Jalisco; during the current government a very aggressive agricultural policy was taken, and no doubt, of high political risk, but in my humble opinion, it is a line of action that certainly promotes a common good among the agrifood sector in Jalisco and with a vision aimed to long term solutions.

During the management of such projects, these were strongly debated by many groups with different ideals, but I think the members from Sinaloa will not let me lie, the actions were certainly necessary. Many states now would wish they had shared the vision and have better water infrastructure, to address the current drought situation

Even with the projects submitted and before the announcement of multiple states of crisis due to the lack of water, the local artillery has not ceased its bombardment of criticism to what, in my opinion, were projects that promote the true common good.

The lack of water is the only thing that puts a stop to Mexico’s most important activity, which is agriculture. In the absence of money, there is always another alternative, raw materials? Even if expensive, in a shortage these may contain a solution; short of staff, truth is that there is always someone willing to work, but when the water runs out, the planting is over, period.

Also, we see other alternatives, such as the centers of added value, projects that to me, make sense. In a compressed market, having infrastructure to turn raw materials, processing primary products seeking to generate additional value, then you would have to agree with me in saying this sounds like a really good idea.

On scale agriculture, such as protected agriculture, where we see small and lonely efforts to engage in the activity and see them end in failure, the idea of agro parks also has a sense of value.

This last concept that has been adopted with positive results in the Mexican states of Queretaro, Nuevo Leon and Jalisco is organizing the social sector or small grower in companies that enable them to reach large production scales and marketing that might detonate greater possibilities of success in the agribusiness.

Anyway, there are several policies with value for analysis, that my countrymen have exercised recently, but as an endless practice, these will be evaluated and criticized, and probable disapproved as a result of a political contest that always closes work cycles with subjective evaluations.

"The projects from Jalisco meant the greater good, looking for common improvement"

The worrying thing about losing sight of which were really the good actions that promoted a common good and which of these could be used as models for the design of future sector policies, whoever wins.

One of the things that has made it easier for me to carry my life: Is to have my goals and objectives clear, and knowing how to measure them.

"How to measure success? Having clear goals, objectives and define indicators in order to know how to measure them".

If I am allowed to make a modest comparison, I have noticed that year after year the AMHPAC’s conventions are conducted in peace, harmony and a sense of optimism.

Every year, a work plan is presented with goals, objectives and the indicators to measure progress. I believe this is the main reason for this harmony, because once the course is agreed, members can easily measure the achievements, without diverting on issues that were not in the plan; we focus only on what to do. And if new directions need to be agreed, what better time than the meeting of members.

Society must have clear expectations and know how to measure expirations. We never pay attention to work plans, but if we could understand the vision, interpreting it with goals and objectives, counting on parameters to measure compliance, I believe that society could also be more objective at the end of the management cycles … A situation that hardly happens.

We are used to analyze the bad and not the good; let me conclude with a recommendation; it is good to evaluate and be critical, but what if in the analysis, we start seeing the positive side and once we start understanding the good, as well as the strengths, then we can begin to study the challenges and weaknesses.

This form of analysis has a fine purpose, by making clear the positive aspect before the negative ones, it becomes easier to be objective and proactive, and after all I think optimism is the raw material of effective solutions. The governor of Arizona may have not assessed the negative impact of the laws she promoted; the Arizona economy has been severely affected, because the immigration laws were supposedly trying to protect the employment of the citizen of that state.

This is to me, the perfect example of the result, after ignoring the positive aspects of Mexican migration into the state.

The times to come are to take strong decisions, both at the industry level, as well as for our nation, so that today, before being negative, we must be objective and see the strengths, in order to make decisions that will surely impact both in our industry as well as for Mexico

August

Editorial

In difficult times, it is the right time to assess what is important

Horatio, the main lyric and satiric poet in the Latin language once said: “Adversity has the gift of awakening talents that in prosperity would have stayed asleep”.

Without a doubt, we are living in times of adversity; how amazing is to see how the major economies of the world show such weakness, and it is also interesting to witness the emerging of new economic potencies at the same time.

It is clear to me that both situations have the same origin and are generated by a simple decision.

In universal history, we have seen nations and empires going through similar situations to what we live today. Many could say that those were other times, and circumstances are different, and although there might be some reason in that, the reality is that they are the same patterns followed in different scenarios.

The difference in who shows weakness or strength today is based on the certainty of who managed to learn and capitalize the lessons of the models, patterns, successes and failures from the past, to implement them in their current models and decisions. 

For example, a lot can be learned from Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, among others, the great empires that market the beginning of their decline when their foreign affairs involved more attention and resources than the internal affairs (this was the case of the Romans, Persians, Greeks, Mongols, etc.).

Such situation is no stranger to the American and European Union, that opposed to nations such as China, India, and even Brazil, are countries that show a clear politics to strengthen their nations internally, and inject resources to national industries and somehow, now they present themselves as the healthiest economies in their regions.

And speaking of adversity, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, another roman philosopher, politic, speaker and writer said: “There is nobody less fortunate than the man forgotten by adversity, since he has no chance to prove himself”.

In this context, I reflect upon the situation of our country, even if complicated, we enjoy great strengths and opportunities, especially in the sector we are involved in.

People need to eat, we are in a privileged geographical and climatic position, and a lot has been heard from me, talking about the global advantage that we represent as growers.

The AMHPAC gathers the largest collection of experience, mistakes, successes, theories and recommendations there is in the industry, with over 300 partners from 25 states, representing over 17,300 acres of protected agriculture.

I take this opportunity to say that, it was also Lucius Annaeus Seneca, who said that: “When you are in the middle of adversity, it’s too late to be cautious”. 

Therefore, I say that, given the current adversity, it is time to learn from models, strategies, successes and failures from the past, to focus in strengthening within our companies and from the industry in general.

 “Vote Mexico, Vote AMHPAC”

Eric Viramontes

CEO

Editorial of April

 It is of human nature to always impose practical classifications in the common language over technical definitions, as we normally use in Mexico the anglicisms football and basketball for the their names in Spanish, balompie and baloncesto.

 In my February editorial I was talking about the mistake of defining the word GREENHOUSE as a description of a structure rather than of a concept. Similarly, I believe that to classify the kinds of greenhouse as of high, medium and low technology falls into ambiguities and misunderstandings, and also suggests subconsciously that high is good and low is bad or inferior.

 Let's see what I mean, for example, let’s try to define what is a high technology greenhouse and we will note that this does not explain specifically what components it must have to be classified that way; when I try to define it in the practical sense, I will use color black for its nature, and red the doubts that come out.

In the broad sense, it should be a metal structure covered with glass or polycarbonate, first doubt: if it is made out of plastic, is not high technology anymore? Or if it has a double layer of plastic with hot air cushion, is it high technology now? ...  (Continuing with the definition) it should have a heating system, of hot water or air?, with CO2 injection, if it does not have these, is it not high technology? Or is it now of medium technology? Or medium – high or high – medium technology? It must be grown hydroponically, in mineral wool, perlite, coconut fiber, sand or peat moss? Which of these are considered as high tech and which are not? Can the soil in pots be considered? Are the grown-in-soil or organic crops featured? Or does it depend on the irrigation system? What if it is automated? Or is it not necessarily? Or does it depend on how much it costs

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March 2011 Editorial 

The good life in a crazy world!

I am a man that can look back, to see the years lived and be thankful for the experience and the huge learning that life has given me.

As you can imagine, I have a life rather Complex; my job that I love, makes me travel frequently, getting on many airplanes, traveling hundreds of miles by road, in other words it makes me feel more exposed, a situation that often makes me analyze my life, career, experiences and mistakes. Every time I do, I can confirm that I’m lucky… My life has been very interesting so far.

On this occasion, the exploration was somewhat different, as this analysis of life is not focused on what I have lived, but on what I still have to live.

My friends, needless is to say that in the time you have allowed me to lead AMHPAC, it has not only been an honor, but it has also been living a dream.

The time we are living now and the time to come, will also be very good.

This is easy to say, even with the recent situations that have affected the Mexican agriculture sector, particularly in the northern states, events that fall into the category of “tragedy”.

It is true; the world defends itself more intensely to the aggressive interaction of man, with droughts, floods and now frosts that jeopardized horticultural exports, the country’s food safety, the development of Mexican agricultural companies, employment, security, etc. This is a situation certainly negative. For what I have seen in these recent days, makes me conclude that what is to come is very good.

It is on these times of crisis, where we know what we are made of, I have seen both State and Federal governments, private companies and farmer organizations to converge on an aggressive and determined plan to prevail and move forward.

The pride of being a farmer has surfaced, the sense of responsibility to the obligation  to produce the food that our society requires and at any cost, to take action to meet their demands.

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