Technology, nature’s appropriation and capital accumulation in modern agriculture

Global agri‐food chains in times of COVID‐19: The state, agribusiness, and agroecology in Argentina

“…However, as discussed here, responses to the crisis create new dilemmas for the re-founding of food systems that have implications for both research and political action (Borras et al, 2018). Our analysis suggests that these dilemmas demonstrate the urgent need not only to overcome the socio-ecological weaknesses of industrial agriculture exposed by the pandemic (Altieri & Nicholls, 2020;IPES, 2020), but also to confront the ideological hegemony of market-led technological solutions to environmental crises (Gras & Cáceres, 2020). A planned transition carried out from below is needed to change the deadly trajectory that humanity is on at present (Jappe, 2019).…”

Integrated-Smart Agriculture: Contexts and Assumptions for a Broader Concept

“…In this perspective, this part will be structured in the following subsections: environmental impacts and climate change; new technologies and approaches; food supply and security; farming systems and crop management; multifunctionality and agricultural/rural development. [2] The new technologies and approaches are not exempt of risks and vulnerabilities [40] CSA approach is a promising solution for the sustainability [41] Some studies use the terminology of Environment-Smart Agriculture (ESA) [19] CSA is a concept presented by FAO in 2010, is known as the "triple win" approach [42] CSA practices improve the soil resilience and quality [43] The Internet of Things (IoT) and the Internet of Everything (IoE) may bring relevant added value for the farms [44] The wireless sensor network is an interesting tool to collect data [45] The biosensors are other techniques to collect information [46] Mobile applications, big data analytics and information systems, cloud computing, drones, blockchain, artificial intelligence [47] An efficient use of the agriculture resources, such as water, soil and energy, is crucial for competitiveness and food and security [48] Agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to the global warming [49] The agricultural sector contributes with about a third of the anthropogenic GHG emissions worldwide [50] The eco-efficiency is the buzzword for the sustainability [51] The rice-wheat cropping systems concern particularly the researchers specifically in South Asia [52] Africa is another world region where it is important to promote cleaner farming systems [53] Sometimes the sustainable practices are misunderstood in these countries [54] In other cases and contexts there is not a convergent view about the CSA practices [20] CSA concept has a narrow perspective about the current farming contexts and a wider debate is needed [55] Rural development may benefit from the concept of smart villages [56] Sometimes is easier to convince the entrepreneurs than the policymakers [57] For an effective CSA implementation the farmers should be involved in the policy design process [58] Vocational training and the extension services may contribute for the adoption of the CSA practices [59] The European Union invested over the last years a significant part of its budget to promote CSA practices…”

“…Some studies use the terminology of environment-smart agriculture to address the relationships between the agricultural activities and the environment [41]. CSA is a concept presented by FAO in 2010, relaunched by the Conference of Paris in 2015 and is known as the "triple win" approach [19]. The idea is to find solutions for the farms in order to minimise the global warming consequences [65].…”

“…Is the concept of 'climate-smart agriculture' (CSA) in general considered in the scientific literature sufficiently broader to capture the several interrelationships among the smart agriculture and the sustainability? CSA is a concept introduced by FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) in 2010 and is known as the "triple win" approach [19]. CSA is an approach to the management of landscapes with the purpose of adapting crop and animal production to the climate changes originated by the human action on the planet.…”

More than what meets the eye : factors and processes that shape the design and use of digital agricultural advisory and decision support in Africa

“…how digitalization could change political economies (Mann, 2018), that data-driven technologies may lead to new inequalities (Cinnamon, 2020), or even new forms of colonialism (Schopp, Schelenz, Heesen, & Pawelec, 2019) and also on a political level the African continent is lacking behind: For example, by 2020 only half of the African countries had followed the European example and adopted data protection laws and regulations (Privacy International, 2020). However, there is growing recognition that also in the context of agriculture in the Global South there is a 'dark side' to digitalization (Coad, Nightingale, Stilgoe, & Vezzani, 2020;Gomez, 2020) Abebe et al, 2021Brooks, 2021;Gras & Cáceres, 2020;Klerkx & Rose, 2020). The focus of this thesis on the factors and processes that shape the design and use of digital advisory and decision support services contributes to this emerging critical field as it specifically focuses on the unintended consequences too.…”