Growing New Connections - An STS Assessment of Controlled Environment Agriculture - PhDData

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Growing New Connections – An STS Assessment of Controlled Environment Agriculture

The thesis was published by , in January 2020, Aalborg University.

Abstract:

I de kommende 30 år forventes det at jordens befolkningstal vil stige til mere end 9 milliarder mennesker og dette vil resultere i en estimeret forøgelse af vores nuværende fødevarebehov med 50 procent. I mellemtiden er vores globale landbrugssystem ved at nå grænsen for hvad der er muligt ift. Produktions kapacitet og mulighederne for at udvide vores nuværende landbrugs praksisser er smalle pga. færre tilgængelige ressourcer som agerjord og vand reserver. Til trods for at moderne landbrug har opnået store forbedringer mht. produktion af fødevare, så er landbrug i dag en af de største udladere af drivhusgasser og de intensive praksisser ved moderne landbrug skader miljøet.I det seneste årti har konceptet controlled environment agriculture gjort drastiske fremskridt inden for hvad der er muligt at dyrke indendørs. Det har ført til udviklingen af konceptet vertical farming, der ved hjælp af kunstig belysning, automatisering og klima styrings teknologier gør indendørs dyrkning i flere muligt. Ved at kontrollere alle aspekter af det indendørs miljø, denne type produktion er i stand til at dyrke store mængder af planter hele året, uden brug af pesticider og jord og med et minimalt vandforbrug.I dette speciale udforsker vi konceptet controlled environment agriculture, de teknologiske udviklinger gennem tiden og hvordan disse teknologier påvirker relationer mellem landmænd og ingeniører. Ved at tilgå konceptet controlled environment agriculture ud fra en STS vinkel, studerer vi hvordan forskellige aktører skaber forskellige realiteter i form af netværk. Vi supplerer denne vinkel med kvalitative forskning metoder og en teoretisk ramme der adresserer, hvordan integrering af nye teknologier påvirker relationerne mellem landmand og ingeniører samt reformer dyrkningsmiljøet. Vi anvendte aktør-netværk teori og konceptet heterogenitet sammen med farmer-back-to-farmer modellen som analytiske redskaber til at forstå feltet vi undersøger. Vi har yderligere anvendt ekspertviden i form af interviews og seminarer for at kunne producere en detaljeret beskrivelse af konceptet og dets implikationer.I dette speciale, konkluderer vi at relationerne mellem landmand, ingeniør og dyrknings miljøet er stærkt påvirket af teknologi. Ydermere, Vi konkluderer at teknologi kan agere som en drivkraft for at forandre forskellige aspekter af controlled environment agriculture, især når det gælder transition fra et semi- til et fuldt-kontrolleret dyrkningsmiljø. Den respektive ekspertise associeret med de forskellige praksisser kan i samarbejde være en drivkræft for bæredygtig omstilling.In the coming 30 years, the world population is expected to reach well over 9 billion people that will lead to an estimated 50 percent growth in overall food demand. Meanwhile, the global agricultural systems are reaching their limits in terms of production capacity, and the possibilities for expanding current agricultural practices are scarce due to limited resources such as arable land and freshwater reserves. Despite significant advances in the past century in terms of production, today, global agriculture is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emission and intensive agricultural practices have taken its toll on the environment.In the past decade, the concept of controlled environment agriculture has made significant advancements when it comes to growing food indoors and in vertical farms, using artificial lighting, automation, and climate control technologies. By fully controlling the growing environment, these types of production are able to achieve high yields year-round, using little water, little land, no pesticides, and no soil. In this thesis, we explore the concept of controlled environment agriculture, its technological advancements, and the relations between farmers, engineers, and technology.By accessing controlled environment agriculture through the lens of science and technology studies, we examine how different actors make up different realities in the form of networks. This is supplemented by a qualitative research approach and a theoretical framework that addresses how the integrations of new technologies affect the relations between farmers, engineers and reshapes the farming environment. We applied actor-network theory and the notion of heterogeneity along with the farmer-back-to-farmer approach as analytical tools to understand the field of research. And applied expert knowledge in the form of interviews and seminars in order to present a detailed description of the concept and its implications.In this thesis, we have arrived at the conclusion that the relations between farmer, engineer, and the farming environment are heavily influenced by technology. Not only that, but technology itself can be a means to alter the different aspects of the field of CEA, especially in the transition from a semi- to a fully controlled environment. The expertise that these two groups of actors possess, especially in collaboration with one another, can be used to generate sustainable change.



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