Precision Technologies for Agriculture: Digital Farming, Gene-Edited Crops, and the Politics of Sustainability

Abstract

This article analyzes the rise of precision technologies for agriculture—specifically digital farming and plant genome editing—and their implications for the politics of environmental sustainability in the agrifood sector. We map out opposing views in the emerging debate over the environmental aspects of these technologies: while proponents see them as vital tools for environmental sustainability, critics view them as antithetical to their own agroecological vision of sustainable agriculture. We argue that key insights from the broader literature on the social effects of technological change—in particular, technological lock-in, the double-edged nature of technology, and uneven power relations—help to explain the political dynamics of this debate. Our analysis highlights the divergent perspectives regarding how these technologies interact with environmental problems, as well as the risks and opportunities they present. Yet, as we argue in the article, developments so far suggest that these dynamics are not always straightforward in practice.

Digitalization for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Potential, Status, and Risks for the MENA Region

“…Reduced Use of External Inputs: On-farm, digital technologies including precision agriculture applications can achieve positive environmental effects through reducing excessive or inappropriate input (fertilizer, pesticides) use [6] that contributes to unnecessary soil and water pollution, energy use, or GHGE. However, a critical perspective of digital agriculture argues that it cannot deliver sustainable agriculture rooted in agroecological approaches, insofar as it still relies on the use of agrochemicals [12]. Despite multiple examples of precision agriculture across MENA (see Table S3), evidence on their ability to reduce the use of external inputs is not currently available.…”

“…Reduced GHGE: On-farm, precision agriculture can reduce in-field fuel use, use of nitrogen fertilizers, and land tillage, the latter two of which can have positive effects on carbon sequestration in soils. All three shifts may contribute to lower GHGE [11,12]. Downstream, ICT and sensors may optimize transport logistics within agri-food chains, reducing fuel usage and delivering environmental benefits via reduced carbon footprint.…”

“…Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Impacts: Proponents of precision agriculture argue that the improved efficiency offered by these technologies can reduce pressure on natural resources and limit the clearing of land [12], which can have positive effects on the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services [18]. Additionally, technology-assisted reductions in the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides may slow the development of resistance among animal and plant pests [13].…”

“…While developed countries have led much of the innovation and early adoption of digital technologies [11][12][13][14], the potential impact of these technologies on agriculture in developing countries is massive given the economic, social, and environmental roles played by their agricultural sectors [6]. The available literature has tended to focus on developing countries and regions that depend most highly on agricultural production, where agricultural production is viewed as a key economic sector or where the agri-food sector is a major employer.…”

Measuring and assessing the effects of climate change on crop yields : A multilevel approach

“…The approach has been criticized for concentrating on technical solutions while ignoring the wider social, economic and political contexts that shaps farmer decision-making about agricultural production (Snyder et al, 2017). Successful adoption of newer techniques will require deeper understanding of the wider historical and societal contexts in which they are to be placed (Clapp and Ruder, 2020).…”