The role of living labs in cultivating inclusive and responsible innovation in precision agriculture

Authors: GARDEZI, MAAZ - Virginia Tech; ABUAYYASH, HALIMEH - University Of Vermont; Adler, Paul; ALVEZ, JUAN - University Of Vermont; ANJUM, RUBAINA - University Of Vermont; RAJU BADIREDDY, APPALA - University Of Vermont; BRUGLER, SKYE - South Dakota State University; CARCAMO, PABLO - Virginia Tech; CLAY, DAVID - South Dakota State University; DADKHAH, ALI - University Of Vermont; EMERY, MARY - University Of Nebraska; FAULKNER, JOSHUA - University Of Vermont; JOSHI, BHAVNA - Virginia Tech; JOSHI, DEEPAK - Arkansas State University; HAMEED KHAN, AWAIS - Queensland University - Australia; KOLIBA, CHRISTIPHER - University Of Kansas; KUMARI, SHEETAL - Virginia Tech; MCMAINE, JOHN - South Dakota State University; MERRILL, SCOTT - University Of Vermont; MITRA, SHREYA - Virginia Tech; MUSAYEV, SARDORBEK - University Of Vermont; OIKONOMOU, PANGIOTIS - University Of Vermont; PINDER, GEORGE - University Of Vermont; PRUTZER, EDWARD - Consultant; RATHORE, JITENDER - Virginia Tech; RICKETTS, TAYLOR - University Of Vermont; RIZZO, DONNA - University Of Vermont; RYAN, BENJAMIN - University Of Vermont; SAHRAEI, MARYAM - South Dakota State University; SCHROTH, ANDREW - University Of Vermont; TURNBULL, SCOTT - University Of Vermont; ZIA, ASIM - University Of Vermont

Submitted to: Agricultural Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2024
Publication Date: 3/2/2024
Citation: Gardezi, M., Abuayyash, H., Adler, P.R., Alvez, J.P., Anjum, R., Raju Badireddy, A., Brugler, S., Carcamo, P., Clay, D., Dadkhah, A., Emery, M., Faulkner, J.W., Joshi, B., Joshi, D.R., Hameed Khan, A., Koliba, C., Kumari, S., Mcmaine, J., Merrill, S., Mitra, S., Musayev, S., Oikonomou, P.D., Pinder, G., Prutzer, E., Rathore, J., Ricketts, T., Rizzo, D.M., Ryan, B.E., Sahraei, M., Schroth, A.W., Turnbull, S., Zia, A. 2024. The role of living labs in cultivating inclusive and responsible innovation in precision agriculture. Agricultural Systems. 216:103908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103908.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2024.103908

Interpretive Summary: Living labs are places where researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders work together to create and learn from new solutions in real-world settings. Living labs can help make digital agriculture more responsible, trustworthy, and sustainable. We share our experiences and best practices of setting up living labs and prototyping precision agriculture tools that use artificial intelligence and machine learning. We hope that our reflections will help other researchers who want to use living labs for responsible innovation.

Technical Abstract: The emergence of precision agriculture technologies has brought forward new opportunities and challenges in the agricultural sector. We delve into the role of living labs as dynamic platforms for fostering responsible innovation in this domain. We discuss our project methodology to demonstrate how living labs can be leveraged to co-create sustainable solutions that are socially and economically responsive to the challenges of farmers and rural communities, and environmentally sustainable. We address the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing living labs in the context of precision agriculture technologies. By sharing our methodological experiences in establishing living labs in the United States, we aim to contribute to the promotion of responsible innovation within the living lab community and offer valuable guidance to other researchers embarking on similar initiatives.