Murang'a: Experts in agriculture and technology have called for a more inclusive and farmer-centered approach to the use of digital technology in agroecology, warning that current systems risk sidelining smallholder farmers and eroding indigenous knowledge.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Programme Assistant of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA-Kenya), Gideon Muya, has observed that his organisation is conducting a participatory technology assessment to understand how digital tools in agriculture are affecting small-scale farmers. During a stakeholders' forum held at a Murang'a hotel, Muya noted that while digital systems are increasingly shaping farming, many of the solutions fail to incorporate agroecological principles and traditional farming practices that conserve biodiversity.
'Our goal is to ensure that this digital evolution incorporates agroecology. Farmers' consent and involvement in data governance must be respected. Otherwise, technology risks working against the very people it is meant to serve,' Muya remarked. He highlighted several challenges, including the advanced age of many farmers, which makes them less receptive to new digital systems. Muya also criticized the bias of many agricultural technologies toward chemical inputs rather than ecological practices and the neglect of indigenous knowledge in digital platforms.
On her part, Barbara Ntambirweta, a lawyer and researcher with the ETC Group under the Africa Technology Assessment Programme, said digital solutions in agriculture must be aligned with agroecology principles if they are to strengthen food systems sustainably. She emphasised that farmers should be consulted before technologies are deployed on their farms. 'Farmers are increasingly distressed about companies harvesting their personal data without consent. We need clear policies to regulate how this information is collected and used to protect farmers from exploitation,' she urged, calling on county governments to establish stronger safeguards.
Ntambirweta further stressed that technology should not simply be imposed from outside but should be co-created with farmers to respond to their realities on the ground. Meanwhile, James Nyaga, an agroecology lead and climate change resilience officer working with the Murang'a county government, stated that partnerships are underway to develop global frameworks that secure farmers' rights while promoting innovation. He pointed to ongoing work on a Global Open Data Integrated Food Operating System, a mobile application designed to allow people to request food products directly while maintaining transparency in food systems.
'Such innovations could help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, but they must be implemented with strong safeguards to ensure inclusivity and fairness.' Nyaga acknowledged. Nyaga further said the county government is working to come up with strategies that will see data collected from farmers is well protected and only used for appropriate purposes.
The experts agreed that while technology has the potential to transform agriculture, it must do so in ways that strengthen agroecology, conserve biodiversity, and respect farmers' autonomy. Without these considerations, they warned, the digitalization of agriculture could deepen inequalities and undermine efforts to build sustainable food systems.