Big Techs like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Alibaba are reshaping food production through Artificial Intelligence (AI) which contributes to increased farmer debt, dependency and climate risks. Bottomline: The digital revolution in agriculture is failing farmers, says a new report.
Titled ‘Head In The Cloud,’ the report by International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) reveals companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Alibaba and Google use their power in cloud storage and data-processing tools to develop platforms and software to store and analyse field and weather data in collaboration with major agribusinesses, influence government policy and push their products and services to make farmers buy them.
As a global think tank, IPES-Food advocates sustainable food systems worldwide through research in areas such as political economy, nutrition, climate change, ecology, agronomy, agroecology and economics, while also being actively involved in political processes.
Its report also highlights how the tech giants dominate funding and policy spheres, receiving substantial public funding while undermining initiatives that could provide farmers with greater autonomy and sustainability. For instance, farmer-led seed systems and participatory breeding are among the most effective responses to climate change and biodiversity loss. These innovations integrate scientific and farmers’ knowledge, strengthening both ecosystems and livelihoods. However, the tech giants are developing AI tools, private data platforms and advancing biotechnology such as patented seeds which not only narrow diversity but also lengthen the supply chain. It also concentrates the information that needs to be shared.
Having entered the agriculture market over the past two decades, the Big Techs now have a better grip on global agriculture than ever, and are now earning billions in profits. Information and services that governments used to provide freely to farmers to maintain better soil, seed and water health are now being monetised through introduction of precision technology. These companies use publicly funded infrastructure to develop their own agricultural products and services to advance digital agriculture.
Worryingly, these companies influence governments to overlook funding, research and policy in publicly funded institutions. The report cites example of West Africa where companies recommend new fertilizer and seeds as they have remote sensing data on soil and control over seeds.
“Under the banner of innovation, tech giants are consolidating control over agriculture and biological heritage, side-lining the farmers who already grow our food in sustainable and resilient ways,” said Lim Li Ching, co-chair of IPES-Food. “We are witnessing a quiet takeover of farming by Big Tech. But farming by algorithm is not the future farmers asked for,” he added.
Big Tech & Big Ag
The analysis reveals that industrial agriculture is increasingly structured around data-driven ‘precision’ tools developed through partnerships between Big Tech and Big Ag. These capital-intensive models often require substantial upfront investments, thereby increasing financial risks for farmers and marginalising smaller-scale producers. The report warns that these data-intensive systems consume enormous amounts of energy, minerals and water resources, lock agriculture into input-intensive monocultures and increase vulnerability to climate shocks.
Big Techs are utilising AI and cloud-based systems to influence decisions regarding crops and inputs. In practice, this means that farming decisions are often mediated by proprietary algorithms that lack transparency and accountability, stripping farmers of their knowledge and decision-making autonomy. At the same time, these companies are collecting data from farms for profit, depriving farmers of control and ownership over their own information.
“We’re being sold a vision of farming run by AI and robots. But farming is built on judgment developed over years in the field. When farmers lose control over their data and decisions, they lose control over their farms. That’s a dangerous path,” said Nettie Wiebe, farmer and IPES-Food expert.
The report advocates for a just, resilient, and sustainable food system to address climate change and global instability. “If we are serious about climate action, policy and investment must recognise and actively support farmer-led seed systems and participatory breeding systems, not sideline them,” said Yiching Song, IPES-Food expert.