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The global diffusion of biotechnology has played a pivotal role in restructuring the global order in the post-Cold War era. Institution of a strong domestic base in biotech has arguably allowed emerging economies in the Global South to negotiate with developed countries from a position of strength. This paper critically examines the rise of Brazil as a case in point to examine the role of biotechnology as a great equaliser of power in North-South relations. It identifies the institution of a strong domestic biotechnology base as a primary facilitator of Brazil's emergence as a globally influential player. The paper does so through delineating the various means through which Brazil has drawn from biotechnology to boost its international image and influence. Firstly, it analyses the nuances within Brazil's domestic biotechnology strategy while underlining their catalytic effect in driving fast-paced advances in the field. Brazil's policy successes with respect to genomics and biofuels are highlighted. The paper discusses Brazil's employment of biotechnology as an effective foreign policy tool in niche diplomacy ventures of health, agriculture, and biofuels to grow its clout in the Global South. Brazil's tactful ability to combine its biotechnology expertise with skilful diplomatic manoeuvring to pioneer novel normative paradigms that favour the Global South has been studied. The paper concludes that Brazil's biotechnology strategy presents a good model for emerging economies in Asia and Africa to emulate to improve their relative standing in the multipolar world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating drones in Indian agriculture presents a transformative potential, ushering in a new era of sustainable farming practices. In India, various incidents tell a story of how pesticides, seeds, and many more applications, once deemed a boon for agricultural progress, have gradually unfolded into a complex web of ecological and health challenges. Presently, the case of drones for spraying purposes in agriculture brings forth compiling advantages. These include enhanced precision in results, alleviation of the diverse adverse effects linked with manual spraying methods, operational feasibility in inclement weather conditions, utility in cultivating tall-standing crops and addressing the complexities of manual spraying for crops such as paddy and sugarcane. This paper explores the role of drones in promoting spraying applications in Indian agriculture. The study addresses two research questions: how can the utilisation of drones for spraying applications contribute to the sustainability of Indian agriculture, and how can drone-assisted spraying applications contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indian agriculture? To accomplish this, a responsible innovation approach is adopted as a theoretical framework to explore the dimensions of innovations in drone mounted spraying in Indian agriculture, juxtaposed by erratic weather conditions and knitted by diverse values and norms. The snowball sampling technique was employed to identify the interviewees and collect qualitative data. For this, in-depth interviews were conducted in person or by using Zoom. The findings suggest that efficiency, capability, effectiveness, gender equality, trust, and accuracy are certain values embedded in drone technology that assist in achieving the SDGs in Indian agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]