Digitalisation is imposed as the future of farming – but peasants want to have their own way

The priority given to digitalisation might lead us to abandon the agroecological transition that was set as a priority in the Farm to Fork strategy. This shift of attention and resources from agroecology to digitalisation is worrying.

Digitalisation is praised for the opportunities it presents, but it also holds numerous risks. Firstly, it is impossible to talk about digitalisation without mentioning the data capture by large companies. If you want your tractor to work, you have no choice but to sign an agreement with the manufacturer, who will then able to gather data from your farm and sell products based on this information back to you in the name of consultation. We think these companies gain a great deal of power over farmers and food systems by accumulating data and imposing their way of working.

Another example is digital sequence information (DSI), in which seed companies identify the code of gene sequences linked to certain characteristics in plants and patent it, because it is considered as research data and not as genetic components. Private players (the few highly concentrated seed companies) can then claim royalties from farmers and small traditional seed growers for the use of plants that naturally contain these DSIs, and prohibit these farmers from continuing to grow and market them. This latest avatar of biopiracy paves the way for widespread appropriation of living organisms, which is totally unacceptable.

Another risk that we should mention is the compulsory character of using digital technology: using digital technologies should not be compulsory for farmers, it should be a choice over which they have autonomy and which they can make based on the unique realities of each farmer, region and country. For sure, digital and information technologies can be useful tools, for example in terms of weather reports and decision making, but we don’t want to be ‘uberised’ – we don’t want a farming system where a company tells the peasant what to do and when to do it every morning.

There is a risk of peasant knowledge being lost. A smart phone cannot replace farmers, who are in close contact with their animals and their land, and make complex decisions based on senses and years of accumulated knowledge, often passed down through generations.

Digital solutions are often very expensive and tailored to large-scale operators with the goal of increasing competition, and this leaves out smallholders. With the current trajectory, small-scale farmers are destined to disappear, but that would have dire consequences for biodiversity, climate, food security and resilience, food sovereignty and livelihoods in rural areas. We want a thriving countryside and a sustainable food system. This can be achieved by firstly recognising and valuing the work that peasants are already doing on the ground through agroecological practices, taking care of the land, the animals, and the eco-system.