Sounding the alarm for digital agriculture: Examining risks to the human rights to science and food
| Published date | 01 September 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/09240519241270408 |
| Author | Foto Pappa |
| Date | 01 September 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Sounding the alarm for digital
agriculture: Examining risks to the
human rights to science and food
Foto Pappa
DIRPOLIS Institute (Institute of Law, Politics and Development), Sant’Anna School of
Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
Abstract
Digital agriculture is described as a solution to population growth and climate change. It entails tech-
nologies such as robots, drones, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) and AI. However, with the adoption
of digital agriculture comes the concern that existing power asymmetries may deepen, and inequalities
between farmers may be exacerbated. This article focuses on small farmers due to the correlation
between a large farm size and the adoption of digital agriculture, cautioning that digital agriculture
may progressively drive more and more farmers out of agriculture. This article examines the risks
that digital agriculture poses to the human rights to science and food. On the right to science, this
article covers access to technology, especially in relation to barriers for small farmers in adopting digital
agriculture. It also explores the obligation to protect from the negative effects of (digital agricultural)
technology. On the right to food, the article analyses the impacts on its elements, such as availability
and accessibility. Finally, the article presents State obligations under the right to food, alongside an
examination of potential measures to ensure State compliance with this right.
Keywords
Digital agriculture, right to food, right to science, ICESCR, human rights law
1. INTRODUCTION
Digital agriculture has received growing attention recently, while its adoption is projected to grow
further.
1
In the face of climate change and population growth, it has been argued that digital
Corresponding author:
Foto Pappa, PhD Candidate, DIRPOLIS Institute (Institute of Law, Politics and Development), Sant’Anna School of
Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
Email: foto.pappa@hotmail.com
Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which
permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original
work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
1. Karthik Ramachandran and others, ‘On Solid Ground: AgTech is Driving Sustainable Farming and is Expected
to Harvest US$18 billion in 2024 Revenues’(Deloitte Center for Technology, Media & Telecommunications)
Article
Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights
2024, Vol. 42(3) 276–296
© The Author(s) 2024
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/09240519241270408
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agriculture is a viable solution with the potential to increase productivity and yields.
2
Digital agri-
culture bolsters farmers’decision-making with data and AI.
3
Examples include early detection of
diseases in livestock,
4
weed distinction and removal,
5
and well as access to weather data combined
with actionable agricultural management advice.
6
Robots can also be used for a more calculated
application of fertilisers.
7
Additionally, sensors measuring soil moisture can be connected to auto-
matic irrigation systems.
8
The term “digital agriculture”encompasses diverse technologies and uses, including, but not
limited to, the ones mentioned above. In this article, digital agriculture will refer to technologies
used on-farm, mainly for crops. These include sensors which measure soil pH and moisture,
and the data collected from them, combined with AI and weather forecasts, provide real-time
information about the farm’s irrigation needs.
9
In general, farm management information
systems which integrate data and provide information to the farmer are considered. In addition,
harvesting or weeding robots and targeted application of inputs (for example, with drones or
robots) are envisaged in the article. Thus, applications of digital agriculture that, for
example, relate to agricultural insurance, or to connecting farmers to markets, are excluded
from this analysis.
The focus is placed on the risks engendered by this technology, because such an examination
would assist in anticipating the possible negative effects and planning for preventive measures
and regulations. As is the case with other technologies introduced in different sectors, the
changes that digital technologies create in agriculture should be critically examined. It is important
to underline that challenges may differ, depending on the local context. Farmers in developing
countries may face different challenges compared to those in developed countries. Although this
article is not geographically limited in scope, it should be acknowledged that context plays a
vital role in the uptake and dissemination of digital agriculture and that farmers face hurdles
related to their local conditions.
10
For example, issues of lack of internet connectivity may be
more pronounced in developing countries, in comparison to developed countries.
ground-agtech-is> accessed 3 May 2024.
2. Larisa Hrustek, ‘Sustainability Driven by Agriculture through Digital Transformation’(2020) 12 Sustainability 1, 1-2.
3. Evagelos D. Lioutas, Chrysanthi Charatsari, Marcello De Rosa, ‘Digitalization of Agriculture: A Way to solve the Food
Problem or a Trolley Dilemma?’(2021) 67 Technology in Society 1, 3.
4. Jonathan McFadden and others, ‘The Digitalisation of Agriculture: A Literature Review and Emerging Policy Issues’
(OECD, 13 April 2022) accessed 3
May 2024, 27.
5. Nicoleta Tantalaki, Stavros Souravlas and Manos Roumeliotis, ‘Data-Driven Decision Making in Precision Agriculture:
The Rise of Big Data in Agricultural Systems’(2019) 20 Journal of Agricultural and Food Information 344, 355.
6. Elisabeth Simelton and Mariette McCampbell, ‘Do Digital Climate Services for Farmers Encourage Resilient Farming
Practices? Pinpointing Gaps through the Responsible Research and Innovation Framework’(2021) 11 Agriculture 1, 2.
7. Beatrice Garske, Antonia Bau and Felix Ekardt, ‘Digitalization and AI in European Agriculture: A Strategy for Achieving
Climate and Biodiversity Targets?’(2021) 13 Sustainability 1, 5.
8. Madhu Khanna, ‘Digital Transformation of the Agricultural Sector: Pathways, Drivers and Policy Implications’(2021) 43
Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 1221, 1224.
9. Josse De Baerdemaeker and others, ‘Artificial intelligence in the Agri-Food Sector’(European Parliament Research
Service, March 2023) accessed 3 May 2024,
31.
10. Nametshego Gumbi, Lucas Gumbi and Hossana Twinomurinzi, ‘Towards Sustainable Digital Agriculture for
Smallholder Farmers: A Systematic Literature Review’(2023) 15 Sustainability 1, 6.
Pappa 277
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