Facilitating Precision Farming Adoption in Smallholder Agriculture
D. Soche (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
Jan Willem Hoftijzer – Mentor (TU Delft - Human Factors)
M. C. Rozendaal – Mentor (TU Delft - Human Technology Relations)
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Abstract
Small-scale farms are vital to Europe’s food sovereignty, biodiversity, and ecological resilience. Yet, they are vanishing at an alarming rate. While industrialised agriculture has introduced certain efficiencies, it has also resulted in monocultures, the decline of rural communities, and widespread ecological degradation. Despite various policy efforts, smallholders continue to encounter increasing systemic pressures. This thesis explores the role of Precision Agriculture Technologies (PATs) in this context - not merely as tools for efficiency, but as potential enablers of smallholder autonomy, resilience, and sustainability. It evaluates both the benefits and the limitations of their adoption.
This research challenges the dominant techno-solutionist narrative, arguing that current implementations of PATs often reinforce the very structural inequalities they aim to address. These technologies tend to favour large agribusinesses, often putting farmers at a disadvantage by establishing new dependencies. By emphasising the gap between technological design and the everyday experiences of smallholders, the study reconsiders innovation as a social and systemic problem, rather than merely a technical one.
This thesis investigates how PATs can be reimagined to truly assist small-scale agriculture, drawing on thorough fieldwork and collaboration with farmers. The outcome is CropKit, a modular, open-source agricultural technology ecosystem tailored to meet the unique needs of smallholders. Central to this system is the CropKit Base, a lightweight and compact micro-tractor designed for flexibility and ease of use across various farming conditions. Functioning like a two-wheel tractor, the Base features three levels of autonomous control, allowing farmers to choose the most suitable interface for each task. Its functionality is further enhanced by a variety of modular attachments, which boost its adaptability. Collectively, these elements create a versatile system that integrates physical usability with digital insights, enabling gradual, accessible adoption while empowering farmers to remain autonomous stewards of their land.
Ultimately, this thesis calls for a radical rethinking of how agricultural technologies are conceived and implemented - not as top-down solutions, but as collaborative tools for systemic change. In the face of ecological crisis, it advocates for technologies that serve farmers, not the other way around, and places small-scale farms at the centre of a resilient and sustainable agricultural future.