Digital tools for local farmers: Thinking with spreadsheets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

IF 1.3 Q3 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS & POLICY
Andrew Flachs, Ankita Raturi, Megan Low, Valerie Miller, Juliet Norton, Celeste Redmond, Haley Thomas
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

With the emergence of social distancing, the shutdown of schools and restaurants, and increased anxieties about in-person farmers markets in early 2020, local farmers and food distributors quickly pivoted to digital tools to manage their farms and connect with buyers. In this paper, we explore the role of a seemingly simple digital tool in shaping alternative agrarian relations during the pandemic-induced local food boom: the spreadsheet. Through interviews with farmers and food distributors across urban, periurban, and rural landscapes in the United States (U.S.), we show how spreadsheets and other digital tools have helped farmers manage demand during the COVID-19 pandemic while also presupposing costs, benefits, and efficiencies for these alternative agricultural food spaces. Ultimately, many local farmers found themselves pursuing goals of simplicity, labor efficiency, and expansion-oriented growth as they made sense of their farm data. Reflecting on these values, and the spreadsheet data underlying them, became a point of tension for farmers who place a high importance on diversification, stability, and interpersonal interactions. By attending to how these data are tracked, we gain deeper insights into how farmers and other stakeholders think about agrarian futures: who does the work, what gets planted, who's buying, and who benefits.

当地农民的数字化工具:在 COVID-19 大流行之后使用电子表格进行思考
2020 年初,随着社会距离的出现、学校和餐馆的关闭以及人们对农贸市场的担忧加剧,当地农民和食品经销商迅速转向使用数字工具来管理农场并与买家建立联系。在本文中,我们将探讨一种看似简单的数字工具在大流行病引发的本地食品热潮中塑造另类农业关系的作用:电子表格。通过对美国城市、城郊和农村地区的农民和食品经销商的采访,我们展示了电子表格和其他数字工具如何在 COVID-19 大流行期间帮助农民管理需求,同时也为这些替代性农业食品空间预设了成本、收益和效率。最终,许多当地农民发现自己在了解农场数据的同时,也在追求简单、劳动效率和以扩张为导向的增长目标。对于高度重视多样化、稳定性和人际交往的农民来说,反思这些价值观以及作为其基础的电子表格数据成为了一个紧张点。通过关注这些数据是如何被追踪的,我们可以更深入地了解农民和其他利益相关者是如何思考农业未来的:谁在工作、种植什么、谁在购买、谁在受益。
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来源期刊
Culture Agriculture Food and Environment
Culture Agriculture Food and Environment AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS & POLICY-
CiteScore
1.60
自引率
9.10%
发文量
13
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