Agriculture

AI advancements could harm the environment and the introduction of new technologies brings with it irreversible ecological consequences. An important fact worth mentioning is that electronic waste is expected to reach 52.2 million tons in 2021. Moreover, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) reported in 2015 that 60 to 90 percent of the world’s electronic waste is illegally dumped and that in 2014, an estimated 42 million tons of e-waste were generated. The UN Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 2003/71 recognizes that the protection of the environment and sustainable development can contribute to human well-being and potentially to the enjoyment of human rights, as well as that environmental damage can have potentially negative effects on the enjoyment of some human rights.

This briefing paper describes key insights of the use of Smart Information Systems in agriculture, looking at the Maglis Project of BASF. This project uses data analytics to personalize the exact purchase needs of farmers, leading to cost reductions and improved decision-making and efficiency for the farmer. Maglis demonstrates how agriculture deals with specific ethical concerns, such as accuracy of data, data ownership, privacy and security, and employment concerns.