Over the ages, farming—the foundation of human civilization—has experienced substantial changes. From conventional techniques to contemporary mechanised farming, the sector has experienced amazing expansion and innovation. But as Big Tech has grown, the agriculture industry has found itself more and more entwined in a convoluted web of technological dominance. This article will examine the fallout from Big Tech's engagement in agriculture, emphasising the detrimental effects on the sector, farmers, and the environment.
The Development of "AgTech" or Agricultural Technology
The agricultural sector has traditionally welcomed technical developments in an effort to boost productivity, save expenses, and raise yields. The way farmers manage their crops, soil, and resources has changed dramatically with the introduction of precision agriculture, drones, and satellite imagery. But the landscape has changed significantly as Big Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google become more prevalent.
With their enormous resources and knowledge, these tech behemoths have made inroads into the agriculture sector with the goal of revolutionising it through digitization and data-driven decision-making. They have created advanced software, hardware, and platforms and have lured farmers in with the promise of increased yields, lower costs, and enhanced sustainability. But beyond the surface, there's a darker truth at work.
Monopolisation as well as Abuse
Large IT firms have been charged with monopolising the agriculture sector, controlling data, setting pricing, and stifling innovation with their vast market dominance. They have tightened their hold on the market by acquiring a large number of agricultural businesses, research centres, and startups.
For example, in 2019 Blue River Technology, a startup that created farming equipment driven by artificial intelligence, was purchased by John Deere, a well-known manufacturer of agricultural machinery. Concerns regarding the industry's power concentration have been raised by this transaction, which gives Big Tech the ability to set rules for farming operations.
To run their businesses, farmers are depending more and more on the software and platforms provided by Big Tech. Numerous types of data are gathered by these platforms, such as agricultural yields, soil conditions, weather trends, and farm management techniques. Although this data might be useful for enhancing agricultural methods, privacy, spying, and exploitation are some of the issues it brings up.
Big Tech corporations can use this data to watch farmers' every step and construct detailed profiles of them. They can then use this knowledge to control market pricing, affect farming methods, and even specify what kinds of crops can be farmed. This degree of surveillance is concerning since it weakens farmers' autonomy and bargaining strength.
Intensive farming methods have been developed as a result of the focus on technology and data-driven decision-making, which has disastrous environmental effects. The over-reliance on chemical pesticides, fertilisers, and irrigation systems is a result of the growing use of precision agriculture, drones, and satellite photography.
These actions have exacerbated biodiversity loss, water pollution, and soil degradation. Additionally, traditional agricultural methods that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable, such crop rotation, organic farming, and agroecology, have been marginalised as a result of the emphasis on maximising yields.
Farmers on a small scale were displaced
Small-scale farmers have been displaced as a result of Big Tech's growing influence in the agricultural industry. These farmers are unable to compete with large-scale industrial farms' technology-driven farming practices. These small-scale farmers, who frequently serve as the backbone of their communities, are compelled to give up their conventional agricultural methods and conform to the narrative that is dominated by technology.
Traditional farming expertise, cultural history, and community-based farming practices have all been lost as a result of this. Since small-scale farmers cannot compete with the low-cost, industrially manufactured food goods, the homogeneity of farming practices has also contributed to the destruction of local food systems.
Large tech firms frequently promote the sustainability and environmental friendliness of their agricultural projects. But this story is frequently a front for the underlying environmental damage and agricultural exploitation.
For example, Amazon Farm, the company's agricultural platform, claims to give farmers data-driven insights to increase yields and decrease waste. Concerns over the platform's environmental impact have been raised, nevertheless, due to its reliance on chemical fertilisers and precision agriculture.
The Power Concentration
A small number of powerful firms now have a disproportionate amount of control in agriculture as a result of the growing influence of Big Tech. Farmers, researchers, and policymakers have been marginalised as a result of this concentration of power, and they now rely more and more on Big Tech for resources, knowledge, and data.
Promoting a more just and sustainable agricultural system that puts the needs of farmers, nearby communities, and the environment first is crucial to addressing these issues. This can be accomplished by:
1. Encouraging accountability and transparency: Large tech corporations need to answer for their deeds and have open and honest data gathering policies.
2. Assisting small-scale farmers: In order to assure small-scale farmers' survival, governments and legislators must give their demands first priority and provide them with the tools, guidance, and assistance they require.
3. Promoting environmentally friendly, sustainable farming techniques: Organic, agroecological, and regenerative agriculture are some examples of environmentally friendly, sustainable farming techniques that should take precedence over intensive farming methods.
4. Fostering diversity and innovation: The agriculture industry has to foster diversity and innovation by pushing for the creation of new tools and methods that put the interests of local residents, farmers, and the environment first.
Taking a more complex and critical stance towards Big Tech's influence in agriculture, we can produce