Digital Farming: Towards the end of farmers’ decision-making autonomy? | Agriculture numérique : quelles conséquences sur l’autonomie de la décision des agriculteurs ?

International audience

Inglés. For 40 years, to increase farm income per farmer, the major strategy has been to achieve labour productivity gains through massive investments in equipment and buildings. Cost competitiveness is not yet finished. The modernization process includes increased information technology. According to Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2014), we have entered the Second Machine Age with the digital revolution. Drones, robots, connected tools, algorithms, and artificial intelligence are now present on farms. Are we building a technological monster? One question is: what are the consequences of these changes concerning capital-intensive technology on farms and on the autonomy of farmers' decision? To answer, we have completed the analysis of data from literature surveys and experts. These developments call into question the relationship between farmers to work in organization, advice and decision-making autonomy. The results show Second Machine Age is at work. Our communication aims to discuss 2 possible consequences of this big change: (1) Farmers may lose their decision-making because the machines know how to calculate and to learn, and are able to make better decisions than farmers.(2)Because digital technologies are expensive and neednew skills, the agro-equipment sector may take control offarms because engineers will process Big Data and thus control decisions.

Francés. L’évolution de l’agriculture française entre 1980 et 2016 a été marquée par la poursuite des gains de productivité du travail permis par la forte substitution du capital au travail. Le processus de modernisation inclut de plus en plus les technologies de l'information. Une question se pose :quelles sont les conséquences de la révolution numérique sur les exploitations ? Pour répondre, nous analysons les données tirées de la littérature scientifique et professionnelle et d’enquêtes auprès d’experts. Ces évolutions interrogent le rapport des agriculteurs au travail en termes d’organisation, de conseil et d'autonomie de la décision. Ne serions-nous pas déjà entrés dans le deuxième âge des machines, celui des machines capables de prendre de décisions plus efficaces que les humains ?