Precision Agriculture and Its Influence on Agrarian Decision-Making

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of agriculture, including the rise of Precision Agriculture (PA) tools, reshapes farming practices, knowledge systems, and decision-making processes, prompting critical questions about the values and ethics behind how these technologies are developed, deployed, and used. Key concerns include whose interests they serve, who is included or excluded from their design, and how they may reinforce or challenge existing power dynamics. This research explores the impact of PA technologies on agricultural decision-making through three distinct study focuses, utilizing a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach. The first study investigates existing data-justice concerns in the context of data-driven PES systems by analyzing the lived experiences of farmers in this context. The second study examines Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) engagement with Decision Support Systems (DSSs) based on their Affinity for Technology Interaction (ATI). The third study explores how various stakeholders envision PA's role in sustainable agriculture, uncovering tensions between techno-optimistic visions and localized, justice-focused approaches grounded in ecological and cultural values. Collectively, the findings reveal that the current digital agriculture system is top-down, driven by profit-seeking, power-concentrated corporations, and shaped by techno-optimistic visions, thereby widening the gap between technology developers and end users. Consequently, the broader promise of serving the public good and contributing to a sustainable future of agriculture is undermined. This research advocates democratizing agricultural futures' vision and the technology development process through participatory design, inclusive governance, and justice-oriented policy interventions. It urges that agricultural technologies be reclaimed as public goods designed to promote sustainable, equitable, and socially responsible agricultural futures.