| Like animals, companies have always monitored changes in their environments. Historically, companies have moved slowly in response to changes. For example, if a retailer’s sales of red sweaters outpaced sales of green sweaters during the Christmas shopping season, the results would not be noticed until months later. By the time the retailer could react, the holiday season was over, and the insights might not be relevant to the following year. |
| In the field of genetics, scientists develop stronger species of corn and other crops through a process known as “seed, select, and amplify.” First, they use a diverse range of seeds to grow several different varieties of the crop under various conditions, such as drought, frost, heavy rainfall, and so on. Then they select the seeds from the sturdiest and most productive strains of each generation of crops and cross-breed those with the desired trait for use in the next generation of test crops. Ultimately, over many generations, the scientists develop super-crops that produce more food, resist all types of weather and pests, and require less soil and water. |