We are finishing 2009, and entering on a new period, 2010-2020. 2009 had a very nice new attraction for me: China.

I spoke at the first Think Tank Summit held in Beijing, started several interactions, gave lectures and was invited to contribute as an international professor at China Agricultural University for the coming years and established this permanent relationship with China Daily readers.

In 2009 we built a bridge between China and Brazil, and we've seen the economic and political relations of the two countries grow a lot just in one year. I wrote monthly in Brazil to send files through our new tech world and establish this dialogue with readers. Since July, eight articles have been written, covering a wide range of topics including, sustainability issues, food inflation, food trade, companies' agenda, the crisis and the impact on the BRIC, sustainable development and inclusion, food bridge and trends and so on.

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In this last article of 2009, I was thinking of what to tell China Daily readers. Then I decided, since this time of the year is rich of thoughts about what happened and plans for next period, to share the following 10 ideas of important topics for the next 10 years, ranging from strategic planning processes, to overall positioning strategies of companies, consumers and governments.

Empowerment: In the next 10 years, companies, networks and productive chains will be more valued by consumers. How to build sustainable incentives for association and cooperatives will be a central task for governments.

Economic integration: A more integrated economy brings importance to the developing countries' supply chains, as sources/alternatives for supplying consumers in the developed world. This integration also brings prominence to the marketing channels in the developing countries through which products made in the developed world could be sold to the emerging consumers.

Income distribution: Tthere is a huge internal market growing in several parts of the world, and these emerging consumers should be studied more by companies for their positioning. The impact of these new consumers on the planet’s capacity to produce (from grains to proteins) is a major issue.

Climate and environment (preservation): This topic will be even more important in the next 10 years, since climate change is a reality. The following are essential: at10tion to low carbon networks (carbon footprint and management), networks adaptation to climate change, renewable energy networks, environmental certification, resource usage efficiency, network reversal (material reuse and recycling) and network integration for optimization of usage of byproducts.

Technology: As the driver of cost reduction, consumers will not only value network transparency ,information exchange and technology systems but also consumer "hi-touch" networks. Companies and their networks should really be driven by consumers and communicate with consumers on an individual basis.

Industry mergers: The next 10 years will be special for industry mergers, which has happened in mobile phones that now are cameras, computers, watches, voice recorders, radios and other equipment. The world will see the growth of nutra-ceutical networks (food and pharmaceutical), nutri-cosmetics networks (food and cosmetics), nutri-turistic networks (food and tourism business), nutri-car networks (food and biofuels).

Risk management: An integrated network of risk management and mitigation will be of fundamental importance in this connected world. Several risks are present in a global perspective, such as financial crisis, diseases, sustainability, security and others.

Communication: It will experience crucial changes, with the new media network communication, proactive network communication with stakeholders. Communicating with high-tech consumers will be a challenge for companies.

Era of simplicity: Simplicity will be valued, in terms of the company network management, market segmentation, new product launching, brand management, services, costumer focus, sales management and others. Simplicity is the word for the next 10 years!

Network value engineering: It is an era of integrated company network, which includes the promotion of permanent supply chain redesign, the value capture of marketing channels, customer intimacy, contracts evaluations and reliable relationship building.

I hope the list can help readers on their thoughts towards 2010-2020. I would like to thank China Daily's enthusiastic team for the opportunity to write and communicate with you. Thank you readers for the nice comments posted on the web site, for the suggestions of topics to tell in my stories.

I wish you all an outstanding 2010, full of health, work and happiness.

The author is professor of strategic planning and food chains at the School of Economics and Business, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (www.favaneves.org) and international speaker.