Amid concerns that advances in agricultural technology could spell doom for the farmworker economy, researchers have found the opposite may be true: adopting new technology requires humans as much as tools and can provide greater opportunities for people.
In a paper published by international journal Agricultural Systems, the UC Merced-led team found high interest among the farm workforce in agricultural technologytraining, particularly among respondents aged 25-34 with a middle-school education. Significant barriers remain, including available childcare, internet access and inflexible training opportunities.
"Agriculture is undergoing a major technological transition, and we often assume that new technology will replace labor," said lead author Kimberly Gibson, a UC Merced postdoctoral researcher in climate smart agriculture and innovation. "Our findings show this transition can go another way. Technology can replace people, or it can open doors of opportunity for them."
The team studied responses from 10,856 people in California's Central Valley. Of those, only 5.3% expressed an interest in general agriculture training programs, while 16.5% were interested in learning more about agricultural technology.
"Our data shows real interest, within agricultural communities, in becoming the people who operate, maintain and improve these technologies," Gibson said. "What stands in their way is often access to childcare, internet and flexible training programs."
Source : ucmerced.edu