From the Open Agroecology Lab we are organizing a series of talks to address different aspects of the digitalization and commodification of agriculture from different perspectives to understand the implications it may have for small farmers and the development of agroecology in the region. Furthermore, we want to understand which role might open source technologies play in supporting those processes.
introduction
Agriculture is immersed in a strong digitalization process at a global level with a clear role of large agro-tech corporations. The digitalization process implies, among other things, the atomized generation of data on each stage of the production process. The analysis and interpretation of the information generated are considered as key elements for a greater operational efficiency and precision, but this data would also facilitate the integration into global markets for ecosystem services. Critics of this process indicate that its deepening implies both the continuity of the current production system and the emergence of a platform economy model aimed at increasing the monopoly of corporations, not only in agriculture but in all the food production chain. We believe that in this context it is essential to discuss the governance of digitalization processes that are implemented within agriculture.
In this sense, various organizations of peasants and small producers, networks of activists and scientists who promote food sovereignty have been warning about the progress of said digitalization process for some time and have begun to look for frameworks and forms for a possible autonomous digitalization of alternative production systems (e.g. regenerative, agroecology), which will produce or allow access to (some of) the benefits of this digital revolution of agriculture; this without relinquishing sovereignty over data or being trapped in locked technologies designed from the logic of capital accumulation as the sole objective of food systems. Thus, they highlight that digital technologies developed using bottom-up approaches, transdisciplinary and participatory processes could respond to the real needs of agroecological users, and that the opening of these developments in open source formats would allow their democratization, as well as new forks to adapt to the problems of food systems in different contexts.
format of the talks
Talks will be open, in virtual format via Zoom platform and will have a duration of 1 hour aproximately.
The language of the talks will be english or spanish depending on the invited speaker. The talks will be recorded and published with translated subtitles.
tALKS
Fernando frank – INAFCI/CALISA
Fernando Frank is an agricultural engineer graduated from UN La Pampa. He works in peasant communities of San Luis in food production and access to rights from the INAFCI (National Institute of Family, Peasant and Indigenous Agriculture). Participates in the CALISA Biosur of the UNSL (Chair of Food Sovereignty and Bioethics of the South, Faculty of Human Sciences, National University of San Luis) and the UCCSNAL (Union of scientists committed to the Society and Nature of Latin America)
Morgan Meyer – Research director /CNRS
Morgan Meyer is a research director at the CNRS and works at the Centre for the Sociology of Innovation (Mines Paris/PSL). He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Sheffield. His research concentrates on three main topics: 1) participation and co-production of knowledge (natural history, do-it-yourself biology, open source agriculture, low tech), 2) new configurations and communities in biology (synthetic biology, gene editing), 3) intermediation, translation and representation of knowledge.
tim tensen – chief of operations /terra-genesis
Tim is a designer, technologist, and executive. In his capacity as Chief Operations Officer with Terra Genesis he leads efforts to develop the capacity of food, fashion, and cosmetics brands and farmers around the globe to create regenerative supply systems. As Head of Strategy for Smallholder Data Services, he is working to redefine the economics of data to be in service to life in a way that addresses the underlying drivers of climate change. As founding board member of Collaborative Earth he is supporting the formation of interdisciplinary labs that usher science out into the open, fostering collaboration between frontline communities, scientists, technologists, and business leaders. As a founding board member of the Regenerative Apiculture Working Group, he is leading US efforts to realign the honey and beekeeping industry to support the wider health of pollinator ecologies and beekeeper livelihoods.
Camila moreno – researcher
Camila Moreno, has a degree in philosophy (UFRGS) and law from (PUC-RS). He has a master’s degree and doctorate in sociology (CPDA-UFRRJ), with a postdoctoral degree from Humboldt University, Berlin. Since 2008, it has participated in the UNFCCC climate negotiations as an observer. He has been developing a critique of the interface between green capitalism and global environmental governance, with an emphasis on critiquing carbon metrics and new colonial equations and overlapping processes between natural capital, digitalization and the financialization of nature.
greg austic – Member / Owner, Our Sci LLC
I’m an open source advocate interested in strengthening and expanding what is available in the public domain for the benefit of all. I grew up on a farm in Central New York and have worked across many industries and spaces – from collecting grease from restaurants for biodiesel production to leading open source hardware and software development teams. Jack of all trades, master of none.
More talks soon