PHITO was part of the Eco-Bytes Symposium organised at the Alliance Manchester Business School together with the Global Development Institute.
This event brought together global experts to discuss how AI and digital tools are reshaping the future of food and farming.
What is the Digital-Green divide?
During the session on smallholder realities, Glory Edwards, PhD (Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University and Research) presented our latest findings: “Digital-Green Transitions Through a Farmer Typology Lens confirms digital-green divide”
The Digital-Green Divide explained?
The digital-green divide refers to the gap between fast-moving digital and “smart farming” technologies and the ability of small and medium-sized farms to actually use them.
While tech innovation for agriculture is scaling quickly, it’s mostly built around the scale, infrastructure, and budgets of large industrial operations.
Smaller farmers are often left out, but not because the technology doesn’t apply to their work, but because it isn’t designed, priced, or delivered in a way that fits their reality.
Why the Digital-Green Divide leaves small farmers behind
Dr. Edwards’ presentation highlighted a critical challenge: while “smart farming” , “digitalisation” sounds promising, a real digital-green divide is leaving small and medium farmers behind. Tech innovations are scaling fast, but they rarely match the realities or budgets of smaller farms.
How PHITO is closing the ‘Digital-Green Divide‘
This conversation is exactly why PHITO exists. As a Platform for Helping small and medium farmers to Incorporate digital Technology for Improved Opportunities, our goal is to close this gap. We want to ensure that the transition to green technology is fair, accessible, and practical for everyday farmers—not just industrial mega-farms.
Participating in Eco-Bytes revealed that the digital divide is a global issue and we can collaborate on global solutions for climate justice, data governance, and tech equity. We are incredibly proud to bring these insights back to our community to keep fighting for a level playing field.
