Farmers should ‘demand’ fair agreements with tech providers, say experts

With great opportunity to increase technology usage in greenhouses, experts say start up tech companies seem to understand the value of good governance. Getting everyone on board should be a priority, they said at last month’s Canadian Greenhouse Conference. ~File photo

By Luke Edwards

Keeping pace with the frenetic growth of new technology is hard enough on its own, but when paired with confusing agreements that are longer than Tolstoy’s War and Peace and using complicated legalese, it can make any business owner’s head spin.

And farmers are no exception. Experts at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference held in Niagara Falls last month urged greenhouse operators to be careful when signing up with new technology providers and outlined some of the challenges the sector will be facing in the coming years as AI and big data becomes all consuming.

“It’s extremely important that farmers demand it,” said Rozita Dara, from the University of Guelph.

Dara covered governance issues when it comes to data. While she said many farmers cite privacy concerns with technology, in reality she said it comes down to the ownership, access and benefits of said data.

“Many of them feel they lose control of their data,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean growers should throw their hands in the air and give up on using technology. Instead, she said it’s about putting the right regulations in place and signing up with the right providers.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Quade Digweed agreed, highlighting two priorities growers should consider. They both consider the longer term, looking at ownership of the data and what happens when the technology begins to age out.

“As long as you can take your data with you when you leave,” he said, adding end-of-support plans are also key.

Digweed said the lines between hardware and software are also being blurred, with a move towards monthly subscription models that include both the hardware and software. This trend has a mix of good and bad for farmers, he said. On the bright side, it often makes updates easier and can blunt the challenge of big up-front capital costs. However, it can also make the farmer feel like they’re stuck.

“This could look like ransom,” he said.

Dara plugged the AI4Food project she’s a part of at the university, which promotes the adoption of technology to support Canada’s food system while also supporting good governance.

She did say there are companies taking governance and cyber security seriously, especially some of the smaller businesses.

“Start ups, they are listening,” she said.

Larger companies may be tougher to influence, but with a combination of farmers’ demands and government regulations, she seemed optimistic that strong governance practices could be established in the agriculture technology sector.

On the robotics side of technology, Digweed sees potential in computer visioning systems as well as scouting robots. However, tasks that require touch remain a challenge as developers continue to struggle finding ways to have robots replicate the gentle touch of a human hand.

“Advances in computer vision, I see a lot of potential,” he said.