Food systems and digitalization from a food sovereignty approach

23 July 2021

This working paper seeks to support food producers’ organizations and other grassroots-based organizations in the complex debate on digitalization. It highlights four critical issues when considering digitalization in agriculture from a food sovereignty perspective: (1) the practice of digitalization is not neutral but supports large-scale food production systems at the expense of small-scale and family farming systems; (2) data extracted from farming activities is treated as a commodity from which profit is generated and economic concentration is deepened in a context of a lack of regulation framework; (3) people-led digital tools are being developed by communities with a rights-based approach for local development; (4) digitalization has important environmental impacts that have to be considered.

The purpose of this working paper is not to cover the entire debate around digitalization in food systems but to provide an analytical tool to food producers’ organizations regarding dangerous trends ongoing in this field, often supported by a general pro-data narrative that overlooks the negative impacts on diversified and territorial food systems.

+++ Full paper available here +++

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