Keywords
Data power; Agri-food data governance; Digital agriculture; Human Rights in Agriculture; Human Rights in Data
Document Type
Article
English Abstract
This article builds on the analytical framework I co-developed in “Power Contestations in the Use of Agri-food Data: Towards a Sustainability Governance Approach” by expanding its application and demonstrating its relevance to human rights concerns. Drawing on sectoral examples, the article examines five interrelated dimensions of power—agenda-setting, technology development and deployment, politics of knowledge and evidence, hegemonic alliances, and harvesting data and value—and shows how these dynamics produce structural inequities and violations of rights to food, participation, non-discrimination, privacy, and cultural integrity. While the human rights system has limitations, as most treaties predate the emergence of big data and lack specific provisions for addressing technology-related harms, it nevertheless offers a valuable normative and legal framework for accountability. By embedding human rights as a core accountability mechanism, the article refines the framework’s analytical value and enhances its accessibility for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to advance equity and accountability in agri-food governance.
Citation Information
Ezirigwe, Jane. "From Framework to the Field: How ‘Data Power’ in Agri-Food Systems Violates Human Rights." The Transnational Human Rights Review 11. (2024) : 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60082/2563-4631.1109 https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/thr/vol11/iss1/2