3mt: PhD research examining digital agriculture through a Responsible Innovation lens
Robert Arcidiacono
Growing young maize seedling in cultivated agricultural farm field with modern technology concepts (Credit: iStock.com/lamyai)
In our ever-changing, globalised, complex, and fast-paced world, new and emerging technologies are rapidly altering society as they are developed to respond to significant challenges.
Conventional agricultural production is a significant contributor of greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change, and a sector also most at risk of the consequences of a changing climate. The uptake of chemical and technical innovations in agriculture are helping address the agricultural sector’s productivity and sustainable intensification agenda, but there are also increasing pressures on agri-environmental systems. In the face of global environmental and production challenges, digital agriculture has been proposed as a way of using data driven information and communication technologies across on-farm applications to improve decision making and production efficiencies.
With a focus on ecologically, socially and economically sustainable agricultural practices, this PhD research seeks to explore the tensions and opportunities between the promotion and adoption of digital agriculture in Australia, with those of regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agricultural systems prioritise the ecological and social sustainability of food production systems to better ensure the long term economic viability of land management. This research employs discourse analysis to build upon science, technology and society (STS) and agri-food studies.
The overarching goal of the research is to provide recommendations based on current agricultural policies and on-the-ground-practice in Australia to support innovation and emerging technologies in digital agriculture, ensuring they are responsible and inclusive of diverse approaches to production. These outcomes seek to ensure future adoption and use of digital agriculture supports an ecologically, socially and economically responsible and equitable food system.
Working across the UQ School of Social Science and CSIRO Digiscape Social Dimensions project team, this PhD research is part of the UQ-CSIRO Responsible Innovation research collaboration. The short 3mt video below provides an overview of the need for this work and the pragmatic focus of the research activities that will be undertaken.
For more information see:
- CSIRO-UQ’s Responsible Innovation Collaboration: https://policy-futures.centre.uq.edu.au/csiro-uq-responsible-innovation-collaboration
- CSIRO’s Digiscape FSP’s Social Dimensions project: https://research.csiro.au/digiscape/digiscapes-projects/144-2/