Is this the future? Image and imagination in visual discourses on digital farming in Austrian media

Abstract

Using qualitative discourse analysis methodology, the article contributes critical analysis of visually mediated photographic representations of the multi-layered ‘digitization’ concept related to agriculture. In the sample of Austrian print and online media, novel digital farm technologies are mainly presented as a hope to transform food systems to help tackle challenges such as alleviation of heavy work load, foster competitiveness, or support sustainable rural development. Based on perspectives of Visual Geographies and sociologies of expectations in science and technology, the Austrian case shows that the media communication using images of agricultural technologies rather uncritically reproduce societal norms and expectations of how technologies provide solutions, often without specifying systemic complexities, risks and alternative approaches. In addition, it highlights the decisive role of expectations and the prominent role of private developers, affecting the creation of future paths of technology use in agriculture even in regions which are spatially and economically relatively unsuitable for widespread use of large, expensive digitally enhanced machinery like in many Southern parts of Austria. Therefore, the non-transparent mechanisms of how expectations in discourses contribute to political decisions and research directions on agricultural technologies should be subject of further exploration.