What's Happening?
Over 130 participants from 33 African countries have issued a declaration warning against the potential dangers of emerging technologies in agriculture. The Pan-African Declaration on the Future of Biodigital Technologies in Food and Agriculture was formed during a three-day meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The declaration, organized by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, African Technology Assessment Platform, and the ETC Group, highlights concerns that technologies like artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and digital platforms could replicate colonial patterns of extraction. The document emphasizes the need for Africa to maintain control over its food systems and data, warning against the corporate capture of genetic resources and data, ecological exploitation, and increased government surveillance.
Why It's Important?
The declaration underscores the potential impact of digital technologies on African agriculture, highlighting the risk of deepening existing inequalities. The convergence of biology and digital technologies could lead to increased ecological costs, surveillance risks, and the exclusion of marginalized groups. The document calls for technologies to be deployed only where they advance food sovereignty and agroecology, emphasizing the need for non-extractive, community-co-created technologies. This stance challenges the narrative that digitalization is a universal solution, advocating for African control over technological deployment to ensure it benefits local communities.
What's Next?
The declaration calls on African governments to develop policies supporting agroecological food systems and ensure farmer privacy and control over farm data. It urges the African Union and regional bodies to integrate agroecology into continental strategies and develop digital governance frameworks. Civil society organizations are encouraged to raise awareness of digital technology harms and promote grassroots innovation. The declaration also supports the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment's decision to reject solar geoengineering, calling for an international non-use agreement.
Beyond the Headlines
The declaration highlights the ethical and cultural dimensions of technological deployment in agriculture, emphasizing the importance of food sovereignty and the protection of traditional and indigenous knowledge. It calls for a rethinking of the role of technology in agriculture, advocating for a balance between embracing digital transformation and resisting corporate capture.
