Digitalizing environmental governance for smallholder participation in food systems

Sake R.L. Kruk; Sanneke Kloppenburg; Hilde M. Toonen; Simon R. Bush

doi:10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125

Digitalizing environmental governance for smallholder participation in food systems

Sake R.L. Kruk^*, Sanneke Kloppenburg, Hilde M. Toonen, Simon R. Bush

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and remote sensing are increasingly used by public and private actors to improve the participation of smallholders in addressing the environmental challenges of food production. Based on an empirical mapping of 10 digital sustainability initiatives we analyse how digital technologies shape the representations of (un)sustainable production practices, the identification of sustainability targets and intervention strategies for improving environmental performance. Based on this mapping we distinguish three archetypes of smallholder participation engendered by digital technology that we label ‘the tutorial’, ‘the dashboard’ and ‘the platform’. The archetypes provide a basis for understanding how digitalization, as a process of design-based governance, can overcome, replicate or even reinforce the barriers to participation faced by analog sustainability initiatives. Applied more widely we argue this typology can provide a productive means of examining the role of digitalization in contributing to more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

Original language	English
Article number	100125
Journal	Earth System Governance
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125
Publication status	Published - Dec 2021

Keywords

Digitalization
Environmental governance
Food systems
Inclusive sustainability
Participation
Smallholders

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125Licence: CC BY

https://edepot.wur.nl/559970Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Digitalizing environmental governance for smallholder participation in food systems",

abstract = "Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and remote sensing are increasingly used by public and private actors to improve the participation of smallholders in addressing the environmental challenges of food production. Based on an empirical mapping of 10 digital sustainability initiatives we analyse how digital technologies shape the representations of (un)sustainable production practices, the identification of sustainability targets and intervention strategies for improving environmental performance. Based on this mapping we distinguish three archetypes of smallholder participation engendered by digital technology that we label {\textquoteleft}the tutorial{\textquoteright}, {\textquoteleft}the dashboard{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}the platform{\textquoteright}. The archetypes provide a basis for understanding how digitalization, as a process of design-based governance, can overcome, replicate or even reinforce the barriers to participation faced by analog sustainability initiatives. Applied more widely we argue this typology can provide a productive means of examining the role of digitalization in contributing to more inclusive and sustainable food systems.",

keywords = "Digitalization, Environmental governance, Food systems, Inclusive sustainability, Participation, Smallholders",

author = "Kruk, {Sake R.L.} and Sanneke Kloppenburg and Toonen, {Hilde M.} and Bush, {Simon R.}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by Wageningen University . We thank Emily Liang for figure 1. We are also grateful to the journal{\textquoteright}s two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions for improvements. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "Earth System Governance",

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AU - Kruk, Sake R.L.

AU - Kloppenburg, Sanneke

AU - Toonen, Hilde M.

AU - Bush, Simon R.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by Wageningen University . We thank Emily Liang for figure 1. We are also grateful to the journal’s two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions for improvements. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and remote sensing are increasingly used by public and private actors to improve the participation of smallholders in addressing the environmental challenges of food production. Based on an empirical mapping of 10 digital sustainability initiatives we analyse how digital technologies shape the representations of (un)sustainable production practices, the identification of sustainability targets and intervention strategies for improving environmental performance. Based on this mapping we distinguish three archetypes of smallholder participation engendered by digital technology that we label ‘the tutorial’, ‘the dashboard’ and ‘the platform’. The archetypes provide a basis for understanding how digitalization, as a process of design-based governance, can overcome, replicate or even reinforce the barriers to participation faced by analog sustainability initiatives. Applied more widely we argue this typology can provide a productive means of examining the role of digitalization in contributing to more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

AB - Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and remote sensing are increasingly used by public and private actors to improve the participation of smallholders in addressing the environmental challenges of food production. Based on an empirical mapping of 10 digital sustainability initiatives we analyse how digital technologies shape the representations of (un)sustainable production practices, the identification of sustainability targets and intervention strategies for improving environmental performance. Based on this mapping we distinguish three archetypes of smallholder participation engendered by digital technology that we label ‘the tutorial’, ‘the dashboard’ and ‘the platform’. The archetypes provide a basis for understanding how digitalization, as a process of design-based governance, can overcome, replicate or even reinforce the barriers to participation faced by analog sustainability initiatives. Applied more widely we argue this typology can provide a productive means of examining the role of digitalization in contributing to more inclusive and sustainable food systems.

KW - Digitalization

KW - Environmental governance

KW - Food systems

KW - Inclusive sustainability

KW - Participation

KW - Smallholders

U2 - 10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125

DO - 10.1016/j.esg.2021.100125

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85120616047

SN - 2589-8116

VL - 10

JO - Earth System Governance

JF - Earth System Governance

M1 - 100125

ER -

Digitalizing environmental governance for smallholder participation in food systems

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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