**6. A new tropical scientific agenda**

However, there is something peculiar in the position taken by Brazil in recent decades in ISST when observing large areas of knowledge or paradigmatic standards of publication. According Glanzel et al. (2006, p. 75) these patterns can be divided into four:

"I. the 'western model' with clinical medicine and biomedical research as dominating fields, II. the characteristic pattern of the former socialist countries with excessive activity in chemistry and physics, III. the 'bio-environmental model' with biology and earth and space sciences in the main focus IV. the 'Japanese model' with engineering and chemistry being predominant."

The Brazilian pattern, as can be seen in the table below (Table 2), fits in Section III, the bioambiental model form the concentration of scientific and technological activity.

Climate Change and Shifting Technoscientific Agendas 313

engagement" reflected in the new knowledge and technologies, which are already composing the new agri-environmental11 paradigms in science and technology, crucial to economic performance in the next decades, specially Brazil, given the centrality of the country regarding biodiversity and food production. Thus, nowadays, the issue of climate change will reconfigure the dynamics of ISST, imposing these appropriate themes from the

There are compared advantages to Brazil when talking about environment and agricultural production. There is to say, there is a background into this research field that cannot be disregarded. It can be mentioned and detached the study of tropical diseases by FIOCRUZ12, tropical agriculture from EMBRAPA13, environmental sociology, American Indian anthropology from local knowledge. All these areas have been consolidated in the national scientific system, creating a "tropical research agenda" for the country, which has, whilst incipient, recruiting local to scientific problems. Incidentally, one of the greatest scientists the world, the neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis, recently launched what he called the "Tropical science manisfest: A new paradigm for the democratic use of science to social and economic transformation of Brazil." It is possible to observe what the "scientific agenda

It is this tropical science that will make it possible to humanity to maintain and enlarge its sources of clean energy, to produce enough food and water to billions of human beings (...) Also cultivate natural biomas, where it is possible to extract new medicines and cure for several diseases, to preserve the climate services and also ecological that would put the global warming in recession and also to recognize and avoid the new agents which could be able to destroy the whole human race. This new model means to free Brazilian science from uncritical subservience of the imported models (...).

This new tropical agenda research was recently the subject of a publication (Bound, 2008) with a rather suggestive name: "Brazil, the natural knowledge economy." According to the report, Brazil's natural resources are a source of innovations although it is still precarious, innovation system, and that if we look with the eyes of the economic knowledge, we could easily characterize it as a economic natural knowledge. Natural resources would give Brazil

Most importantly, they (resources natural) highlight the propitious timing when climate change, the environment, food scarcity and rising worldwide energy demand are at the forefront of global consciousness. What changed between the maiden flight of

<sup>11</sup> Here, I refer specifically to new systemic ecology, to new material research to biomass fuel, among

<sup>12</sup> Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), vinculated to Ministry of Health of Brazil, is the most prominent institution of science and technology into health field into Latin America. Founded in 1900 by the sanitarian Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz stands out for combat health problems related to

<sup>13</sup>The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, was established in 1973. Recently has excelled in research and

equation that charted the new technological paradigm, to "sustainable" technologies

tropical" could offer.

(NICOLELIS, 2010)

development of tropical varieties.

others.

prospective advantages in the context of global warming.

the tropics (Yellow fever, malaria, Chagas disease, Aedesaegypti).


*Source: King (2009).* 

Table 2. Brazil in World Science: 1994-98 vs. 2004-089

The fact of being highlighted in this paradigm into the former decades brings many consequences to Brazilian science and technology, considering that a new technoscientific agenda is constructed nowadays because of climate changing in which will demand more answers from the bioenvironmental paradigm in terms of knowledge and technology. This demanding are impacting science, politics and economy.

That is, there is not only a greater collection of public opinion, as well as the world economic leaders seem to be engaged in competitive new paradigm of clean growth. While this technological competition can generate positive indirect effects for all countries that can not commit can compromise its savings in the future (MOTTA et al., 2011: 18).

The social context in which speeches are built concerning the climate changing characterizes itself by the awareness of environmental hazards distributed globally, which has required scientific and technological responses to reduce these risks10. Taking the case of agrienvironmental technologies, it emerges a new discourse which serves to the defense of "sustainability", but at the same time, it must be justified by their "productive efficiency". In Brazil, this format of research justification in the agri-environmental field assumes a fundamental dimension of the scientific practice considering the positioning of the country into the international division of labor, as exporting country of agricultural *commodities* and scientific organization, from the available resources, thematic differentiation and researches fields, and also what concerns the merely cognitive scope, relating to technological knowledge produced in lights of demanding from its national context, vis-à-vis the new global context.

The issue of climate change has entered the political agenda of the central countries of the globe. The problematic context of "environmental risk", "green policies" and "ecological

<sup>9</sup> Based on percent share of Thomson Reuters-indexed papers, ranked by percentage in the five-year period, 2004-08.

<sup>10</sup> Check Stern (2007).

The fact of being highlighted in this paradigm into the former decades brings many consequences to Brazilian science and technology, considering that a new technoscientific agenda is constructed nowadays because of climate changing in which will demand more answers from the bioenvironmental paradigm in terms of knowledge and technology. This

That is, there is not only a greater collection of public opinion, as well as the world economic leaders seem to be engaged in competitive new paradigm of clean growth. While this technological competition can generate positive indirect effects for all countries that can not commit can compromise its savings in the future (MOTTA et al.,

The social context in which speeches are built concerning the climate changing characterizes itself by the awareness of environmental hazards distributed globally, which has required scientific and technological responses to reduce these risks10. Taking the case of agrienvironmental technologies, it emerges a new discourse which serves to the defense of "sustainability", but at the same time, it must be justified by their "productive efficiency". In Brazil, this format of research justification in the agri-environmental field assumes a fundamental dimension of the scientific practice considering the positioning of the country into the international division of labor, as exporting country of agricultural *commodities* and scientific organization, from the available resources, thematic differentiation and researches fields, and also what concerns the merely cognitive scope, relating to technological knowledge produced in lights of demanding from its national context, vis-à-vis the new

The issue of climate change has entered the political agenda of the central countries of the globe. The problematic context of "environmental risk", "green policies" and "ecological

Based on percent share of Thomson Reuters-indexed papers, ranked by percentage in the five-year

*Source: King (2009).* 

2011: 18).

global context.

period, 2004-08. <sup>10</sup> Check Stern (2007).

 9

Table 2. Brazil in World Science: 1994-98 vs. 2004-089

demanding are impacting science, politics and economy.

engagement" reflected in the new knowledge and technologies, which are already composing the new agri-environmental11 paradigms in science and technology, crucial to economic performance in the next decades, specially Brazil, given the centrality of the country regarding biodiversity and food production. Thus, nowadays, the issue of climate change will reconfigure the dynamics of ISST, imposing these appropriate themes from the equation that charted the new technological paradigm, to "sustainable" technologies

There are compared advantages to Brazil when talking about environment and agricultural production. There is to say, there is a background into this research field that cannot be disregarded. It can be mentioned and detached the study of tropical diseases by FIOCRUZ12, tropical agriculture from EMBRAPA13, environmental sociology, American Indian anthropology from local knowledge. All these areas have been consolidated in the national scientific system, creating a "tropical research agenda" for the country, which has, whilst incipient, recruiting local to scientific problems. Incidentally, one of the greatest scientists the world, the neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis, recently launched what he called the "Tropical science manisfest: A new paradigm for the democratic use of science to social and economic transformation of Brazil." It is possible to observe what the "scientific agenda tropical" could offer.

It is this tropical science that will make it possible to humanity to maintain and enlarge its sources of clean energy, to produce enough food and water to billions of human beings (...) Also cultivate natural biomas, where it is possible to extract new medicines and cure for several diseases, to preserve the climate services and also ecological that would put the global warming in recession and also to recognize and avoid the new agents which could be able to destroy the whole human race. This new model means to free Brazilian science from uncritical subservience of the imported models (...). (NICOLELIS, 2010)

This new tropical agenda research was recently the subject of a publication (Bound, 2008) with a rather suggestive name: "Brazil, the natural knowledge economy." According to the report, Brazil's natural resources are a source of innovations although it is still precarious, innovation system, and that if we look with the eyes of the economic knowledge, we could easily characterize it as a economic natural knowledge. Natural resources would give Brazil prospective advantages in the context of global warming.

Most importantly, they (resources natural) highlight the propitious timing when climate change, the environment, food scarcity and rising worldwide energy demand are at the forefront of global consciousness. What changed between the maiden flight of

<sup>11</sup> Here, I refer specifically to new systemic ecology, to new material research to biomass fuel, among others.

<sup>12</sup> Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), vinculated to Ministry of Health of Brazil, is the most prominent institution of science and technology into health field into Latin America. Founded in 1900 by the sanitarian Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz stands out for combat health problems related to the tropics (Yellow fever, malaria, Chagas disease, Aedesaegypti).

<sup>13</sup>The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, was established in 1973. Recently has excelled in research and development of tropical varieties.

Climate Change and Shifting Technoscientific Agendas 315

sections of their articles, the real intention of the article. Therefore, for example, it can be summarized the relevance of the research results in what they present as innovative to the field in question, the response of a given disease, the solution to environmental problems, economic, and finally, to the problems mentioned by the scientific agenda which it links.

The relevance of the elaborated practice in the introduction is, above all, a speech phenomenon related to itself, instead of being a phenomenon related to the practice. So, I want to say that the relation of generalized sources that ate integrated to the scientists, to the potato processing industry, to the population who benefits with more and better proteins or to the United States which benefit with the control of the waste, is not

So, it is administered according to the relevance of other elements presented in the scientific and transscientifics, emphasizing what, ultimately, would favor the publication of the article. In the scientific center, the relevance is ensured by the local agenda (global) from the research what makes a legitimate context. In the periphery, it is needed to purify the context and references to local problems. It should, therefore, "manage the irrelevance," giving up

It was not advocated in this article the argument of the impossibility of change in the hierarchy of the international science and technology. The calculus centers are shifting and also they are in constant variations, being subject to exemplary works and advanced technology. But, also, it cannot be disdained the tendency that some of the hierarchy spots tend to be constant – as it has been shown along the history of science and technology. Yet, it is advisable to have in mind that within the center of scientific and technologic production emerge another calculus centers, anticipating its global agenda, methods and paradigms –

Bloor, David. *Knowledge and social imagery*. Chicago: the University of Chicago Press, 1991.

Bourdieu, Pierre. O campo científico. In: ORTIZ, Renato (org.). *Pierre Bourdieu: Sociologia*. São

Glänzel, Wolfgang; Leta, Jacqueline; Thijs, Bart. Science in Brazil. Part 1: A macro-level

King, C. (2009). Brazilian science on the rise. ScienceWatch. Available at: http://sciencewatch.com/ana/fea/09julaugFea/. Acessado em 20/10/2011. Knorr-Cetina, Karin. *La fabricación del conocimiento: un ensayo sobre el caráter constructivista y contextual de la ciência*. Bernal: Universidade Nacional de Quilmes, 2005. Kuhn, Thomas. *A estrutura das revoluções científicas*. São Paulo: Editora Perspectiva, 1995.

Leite, Paula; Mugnaini, Rogério; Leta, Jacqueline. A new indicator for international

Merton, Robert K. Priorities in Scientific Discovery: A Chapter in the Sociology of Science.

visibility: exploring Brazilian scientic community. *Scientometrics.* Acessado em:

Bound, Kirsten. *Brazil: the natural knowledge economy*. London: Demos, 2008.

Collins, Harry. *Changing order*. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992.

Latour, Bruno. *Ciência em ação*. São Paulo: UNESP, 2000.

*American Sociological Review*, Vol. 22, No. 6, 1957.

comparative study. *Scientometrics*, Vol. 67, No. 1, 2006.

related to the practice of scientists. (KNORR-CETINA, 2005:256).

consensual- in the system as a whole, including its periphery.

the agendas of peripheral research.

Paulo: Ática, 1983.

20/10/2011.

**8. References** 

the 14-bis and the maiden flight of the Ipanema14 is not just Brazil´s capacity for technological and scientific innovation, but the rest of the world´s appreciation of the potential of that innovation to address some of the pressing challenges that confront us all (BOND, 2008:14).

This is an unreasonable15 optimism. The recognition of comparative advantages do not mean that they are used. Also does not mean that it exploitation may be translatable into new scientific paradigms. The construction of a new scientific agenda may have limited its scope or impact to the context of construction, without influencing local epistemes on global dimension ISST. That is to say that it is very affordable, taking into account the history of world science of reproduction, building a scientific agenda with relevance to tropical regions, which coexists the same kinds of problems and to which this new agenda seeks to give answers. It seems, finally, that science coexists with peripheral issue, as discussed in the literature, from circulation (Latour, 2000). Latour and the theorists on *actor network theory* support the argument that to become a fact, every single idea must pass through the hands of a multitude of actors with different interests and strategies, which are not predictable and much less have any commitment to the original idea, which makes it (inevitably) unrecognizable when it circulates. Against it, those involved with the idea must accomplish two things: "enlist other people so that they participate in the construction and the fact that control the behavior expected of them to make their actions" (Latour, 2000:178). It seems to me that the problem of building a tropical science resides in the first case, which thus invalidates the second.

Peripheral Science has a low capacity of recruitment of actors, especially those who take strategic positions for the knowledge circulation ISST: journal editors, peer reviewers, teachers and students in calculus centers, entrepreneurs, among others. If the case is to enlist in the tropics, then it brings the problem of low network density technoscientific built there, and the absence of central calculations able to add scientific capital that exceeds the conceptuality of knowledge and technology built. In this sense, it seems that the reference to "tropical context" argues against the ability of movement of knowledge built in this context. Unless it purifies itself, although, depriving it.
