Articolo in rivista, 2021, ENG, 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.05.003

Digital transformation of agriculture and rural areas: a Socio-Cyber-Physical System framework to support responsibilisation

Rijswijk K.; Klerkx L.; Bacco M.; Bartolini F.; Bulten E.; Debruyne L.; Dessein J.; Scotti I.; Brunori G.

Knowledge Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Knowledge Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; CNR-ISTI, Pisa, Italy; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands; Flanders research institute for Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Digital technologies are often seen as an opportunity to enable sustainable futures in agriculture and rural areas. However, this digital transformation process is not inherently good as it impacts on many aspects (e.g. economic, environmental, social, technological, institutional) and their relations. The Responsible Research and Innovation approach calls for a better understanding and anticipation of the often unknown impacts. To meet this aim we have developed a framework that allows to gain insight on the relations between the social, the cyber and the physical, i.e. a Socio-Cyber-Physical System and have described conditions for a successful digital transformation of such a system. These are design of, and creating access to digital technologies, and navigating system complexity. This framework allows for a better problematisation of digital transformation and has been illustrated through an example of digital dairy farming. It supports an enhanced understanding of moral responsibilities regarding digital transformation, fitting within the Responsible Research and Innovation approach, as well as the succinct step of understanding who is responsible or accountable for the identified (positive or negative) impacts, i.e. responsibilisation.

Journal of rural studies 85 , pp. 79–90

Keywords

Digital transformation, Digital agriculture, Digital divide, Responsible research and innovation, Green deal, Farm to Fork

CNR authors

Bacco Felice Manlio

CNR institutes

ISTI – Istituto di scienza e tecnologie dell'informazione "Alessandro Faedo"

ID: 453667

Year: 2021

Type: Articolo in rivista

Creation: 2021-05-06 09:48:02.000

Last update: 2021-07-14 18:09:22.000

External IDs

CNR OAI-PMH: oai:it.cnr:prodotti:453667

DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.05.003

ISI Web of Science (WOS): 000659788600009

Scopus: 2-s2.0-85106498196