Agroecology and ICT for the ecological transition

Injunctions to change practices to preserve and restore natural resources in order to ensure the balance and functionality of ecosystems, and to limit global warming, are addressed to all citizens and sectors of activity, including agriculture. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up in 1988, advocates a systemic transformation and highlights climate-resilient development, based on the integrated implementation of policies to adapt to climate change, policies to protect biodiversity and ecosystems, and policies to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural sector is clearly identified in the 6th IPCC report as a sector that should be mobilized to reduce emissions, with expected benefits for biodiversity. France and Europe are promoting agro-ecology as the revolution that will bring about sustainable agriculture and contribute to global health and well-being, while ensuring safe, high-quality food that is affordable in terms of price and access. In line with the ecological transition and the decarbonization of societies that have already begun (Paris Agreement, European Green Pact), the development of eco-responsible agriculture has become a necessity driven by the agroecological transition.

Agroecology, a term coined in the 1920s, evokes the appropriation by agronomy of the concepts and methods of scientific ecology. It consists of a range of practices that promote ecological functions useful for improving agricultural activity . Its implementation will depend on scientific advances and technical, social, economic and political choices. Digital technology is present in most business sectors, including agriculture. It has been identified as an important lever to be mobilized for agro-ecology, in particular to improve decision-making tools by diversifying data, acquiring and processing it en masse and transforming it into useful, usable information (in particular with so-called artificial intelligence techniques), and developing the agri-equipment expected to reduce the arduousness of farming tasks under agro-ecological conditions.

The aim of this introductory article is to provide an overview of the issues raised by agro-ecology and the potential offered by artificial intelligence and digital technology, including its low-tech version, from the perspective of sober and responsible use of digital technology, without any technological solutions.