Digital agriculture and human rights: examining risks and looking for solutions

This PhD dissertation analyzes digital agriculture under a human rights law lens. The focus of this dissertation is on small farmers and peasants. The dissertation critically examines potential risks of digital agriculture, drawing from different disciplines. The risks identified are then connected to selected human rights, specifically, the human rights to food, science, food sovereignty and other peasant rights, water and land. The impact of the adoption of digital agriculture on the enjoyment of these human rights is analyzed, as well as the obligations incumbent upon states. The dissertation then examines an example from state practice, that of the European Union. This example illustrates measures which have been taken at the EU level and at the EU member states’ level (with examples), to facilitate the adoption of digital agriculture. Pursuant to this analysis, two approaches are analyzed which could help address the risks which have been identified in the first part of the dissertation. These approaches are “responsible research and innovation” and “digital agroecology”, which are inter alia based on farmer participation in decision-making and technology design. In the concluding chapter, recommendations are provided to states, in accordance with their human rights obligations, as well as the aforementioned approaches.