Technology and agricultural companies are “tampering” with the global food system

Experts in the field of food security have warned that technology companies and others specialized in industrial agriculture are “tampering” with the food system, through the use of artificial intelligence and algorithms. These experts believe that this trend may undermine the traditional role of farmers in determining what crops are produced and what people around the world consume.

According to a report issued by the research center known as the “Sustainable Food Systems Expert Council,” giant technology companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, and Alibaba have begun cooperating closely with industrial agriculture companies, with the aim of influencing the quality of crops that are grown, in addition to determining the methods and technologies used in their cultivation.

Experts say that this model leads to the adoption of an approach known as “top-down management” in the agricultural sector. In this system, the farmer is not the primary decision-maker in choosing crops or farming methods, but rather large companies are the ones who direct farmers and determine for them what to grow.

The focus of these directives is often on the most productive and profitable crops in global markets.

Limited experience

Canadian agricultural expert Pat Mooney, who contributed to preparing the report, said that these companies are manipulating the global food system, warning of the danger of this trend.

He explained that major technology companies, in cooperation with industrial agriculture companies, tend to focus on a limited number of basic crops, namely corn, rice, wheat, soybeans, and potatoes, which may lead to the marginalization of many local and diverse crops.

Mooney added that these companies’ advice is often based on their limited experience with specific crops. For example, you might advise farmers in countries like Ethiopia to grow maize because it is a crop that companies have extensive experience handling and treating with pesticides. Farmers are thus directed towards specific crops that align with companies’ interests and technical expertise.

More globalized

Mooney also warned that farmers could find themselves trapped within a complex global agricultural system, where they are required to buy seeds produced by large industrial companies, as well as use machinery, technology and chemical inputs manufactured in distant countries. This may lead to the abandonment of local crops that farmers have grown for generations, and which are often better suited to local environments.

The Canadian expert pointed out that the highly interconnected global food system has already proven its fragility in the face of crises. Events such as the climate crisis or the war in Ukraine have shown the vulnerability of this system to global shocks. As the food system becomes more globalized and complex, it becomes more difficult to ensure its stability and continued safe provision of food.

Mooney added that achieving food security must rely more on local systems, because globalized systems may be vulnerable to collapse when major crises occur. He explained that over-reliance on multinational corporations operating from technology hubs such as Silicon Valley may further weaken the food system rather than strengthen it.

Huge data

Technology companies are collecting huge amounts of data from farmers using advanced tools and technologies, such as satellite sensors and drones.

These technologies are used to monitor climate conditions, analyze soil conditions, and evaluate crop health. This data is then fed into artificial intelligence models and algorithms to analyze it and provide recommendations to farmers on the best crops to grow in their areas.

These recommendations may include suggesting specific types of seeds that are appropriate to the level of soil moisture or environmental conditions in a particular area. However, Mooney believes that these proposals often focus on crops that serve corporate interests, which forces farmers to buy specific seeds, in addition to the equipment, fertilizers and associated agricultural products.

«Algorithmic farming»

For his part, the co-chair of the Sustainable Food Systems Experts Council, Lim Li Ching, said that the idea of ​​“algorithmic farming” is not necessarily what farmers want, stressing that real innovation in the agricultural field must start from farmers’ knowledge, experience, and actual needs.

Cheng explained that any successful innovation must be linked to the reality that farmers live in, and aim to support them and enhance their role as protectors of agricultural biodiversity and responsible for its preservation.

He added that the world needs agricultural innovations that enhance true sustainability, enable farmers to make their own decisions, and are subject to local management that takes into account the specificity of each region. An expert at the Sustainable Food Systems Experts Council stressed the importance of developing ecological agricultural practices that preserve the natural balance, rather than promoting large-scale industrial agriculture models or monocultures that rely on a single crop, which often require the use of large quantities of chemicals and fertilizers. About the Guardian

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Decision makers

The Sustainable Food Systems Expert Council warns that agricultural digital tools are often presented as innovative and advanced solutions, which quickly attracts the attention of policymakers and investors.

As a result, governments may promote these technologies and encourage their use as a path towards developing the agricultural sector, even in cases where farmers themselves are reluctant to adopt them.

. The new trend may undermine the traditional role of farmers in determining what crops are produced and what people around the world consume.