Agriculture 4.0: Bioinformationalism and Postdigital Hybrid Assemblages

Price, Catherine

Abstract

Agriculture is undergoing a new technology revolution with new technologies viewed as being needed for sustainable and resilient food systems. These technologies include robotics, sensors, Big Data, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, ubiquitous connectivity, gene editing, cellular agriculture nanotechnology, and 3D food printing. The implementation of these technologies is leading to the fourth agricultural revolution or Agriculture 4.0. This chapter offers an answer to two questions. Firstly, how can we understand new agricultural technologies from a postdigital hybrid assemblage perspective? Secondly, can the concept of postdigital hybrid assemblages help us understand the impact of the biodigital in the agricultural sector? In answering these questions, the chapter illustrates the complexity of Agriculture 4.0. These new agricultural technologies are characterised by confident expectations of progress, invoking ideas of sustainability and increased food security. Whilst these new technologies will no doubt achieve these goals, there are implications which are revealed when examining these technologies through the lens of postdigital hybrid assemblages. Looking at agriculture through the lens of the postdigital hybrid assemblage, enables us to see how digital and genetic technologies can be full of promise, yet at the same time provide dystopian futures in agriculture.

Citation

Price, C. (2022). Agriculture 4.0: Bioinformationalism and Postdigital Hybrid Assemblages. In Bioinformational Philosophy and Postdigital Knowledge Ecologies (113-131). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95006-4_7

• Online Publication Date: Apr 22, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 23, 2024
• Publisher: Springer
• Pages: 113-131
• Series Title: Postdigital Science and Education
• Book Title: Bioinformational Philosophy and Postdigital Knowledge Ecologies
• ISBN: 9783030950057
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95006-4_7
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7951278
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-95006-4_7