Autonomy and Agency in Farming: Exploring Human, Machine, and Animal Dynamics

Abstract

Human-Machine Communication is reshaping the agricultural sector as digital technologies and automated systems transform farms into complex communicative environments. Farms, which serve as both workplaces and living spaces, uniquely integrate these technologies, yet their impact on farmers' daily practices, labor, and decision-making remains underexplored. Through an ethnographic approach involving qualitative interviews and farm visits in Austria and southern Germany, the study investigates the interactions among farmers, automated technologies, smart devices, and animals. Using Actor-Network Theory, the redistribution of labor and agency in smart farming is explored. This analysis examines two forms of human-machine relations: the dynamics of automation and autonomy in dairy farming and on a chicken farm, highlighting how these negotiation processes unfold. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of human-machine interaction, particularly in the context of agriculture's digital transformation, and provide perspectives on the evolving nature of agricultural work.