An integrated socio-cyber-physical system framework to assess responsible digitalisation in agriculture: A first application with Living Labs in Europe
Authors/Creators
- 1. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Italy
- 2. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Italy
- 3. Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Italy
- 4. Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands e Departamento de Economía Agraria, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Talca, Chile
Description
It is still an open question how to assess the contribution of digitalisation in agriculture to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and how digitalisation then can be done in a responsible way. A sociocyber-physical system (SCPS) concept can help this analysis, but little experience exists with its operationalisation and application, and its integration with the Responsible Research and Innovation approach. To address this gap, this paper has a twofold purpose: a) operationalise the SCPS concept within an integrated assessment framework adaptable to multiple levels of analysis, contexts, and purposes (e.g. ex-ante,
ongoing, ex post evaluation) to shed light on impacts of digitalisation in relation to SCPS entities, relationships, and activities; b) apply the designed framework in 21 multi-stakeholder platforms (Living Labs), which were established to explore needs and expectations in specific subjects relevant for European agriculture, forestry and rural areas. Impacts were assessed through interviews (158 respondents), focus groups (378 participants), online surveys (273 respondents), and other secondary data. The findings indicate that the SCPS framework enables elucidating relationships between digital and broader sustainable development goals and needs, and can sharpen earlier assessments, going beyond a pessimistic or optimistic dichotomy associated to digitalisation by specifying effects and tradeoffs in terms of enabling, disenabling, boosting and depleting impacts of digital agriculture. However, the framework being comprehensive and open to emerging socio-cyber-physical interactions, makes that Living Labs doing participatory impact assessments struggled with the complexity and multiple dimensions of the topic. The paper provides both conceptual and operational knowledge to set up impact evaluations of responsible digitalisation in agriculture and outline concepts that can help anticipating the consequences and trade-offs.