Experts Call for Farmer-Centered Approach in Digital Agriculture

In Summary

• Experts warn that digital agriculture risks sidelining smallholder farmers if not inclusive.
• Concerns raised over erosion of indigenous knowledge and farmer autonomy.
• BIBA-Kenya is conducting assessments on how digital tools affect small-scale farmers.
• Stakeholders emphasize aligning technology with agroecology principles.
• Farmers’ consent and data protection highlighted as key safeguards.
• Calls for co-creation of digital solutions with farmers instead of imposing external systems.
• Murang’a County working on global frameworks to secure farmers’ rights while encouraging innovation.

Agriculture and technology experts have urged for a more inclusive and farmer-centered approach in the digitalization of agriculture, warning that current systems risk excluding smallholder farmers and eroding indigenous knowledge.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ forum in Murang’a, Gideon Muya, Programme Assistant at the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA-Kenya), said the organization is conducting a participatory technology assessment to determine how digital tools are impacting small-scale farmers.

Muya noted that while digital technologies are increasingly shaping agriculture, many solutions fail to incorporate agroecological practices and traditional knowledge that conserve biodiversity.

“Our goal is to ensure 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 said.

He highlighted challenges such as the advanced age of many farmers, which limits uptake of digital systems, and criticized agricultural technologies biased toward chemical inputs rather than ecological approaches.

Barbara Ntambirweki, a lawyer and researcher with ETC Group under the Africa Technology Assessment Programme, echoed these concerns, stressing that technologies must align with agroecology principles to build sustainable food systems.

“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 said, calling on county governments to enforce safeguards.

She further emphasized that technology should be co-created with farmers to reflect local realities rather than imposed externally.

Murang’a County agroecology lead and climate change officer James Nyaga said partnerships are underway to develop frameworks that safeguard farmer rights while encouraging innovation. He cited the Global Open Data Integrated Food Operating System, a mobile application designed to connect farmers and consumers while ensuring 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 said, adding that the county is developing strategies to protect farmer data.

Experts agreed that while digital tools hold great potential for agricultural transformation, they must strengthen agroecology, protect biodiversity, and uphold farmer autonomy. Without such measures, they warned, agricultural digitalization risks deepening inequalities and undermining sustainable food systems.