Digital age farmers need truth sense

Agriculture needs to start taking misinformation and disinformation in the digital age more seriously, experts who study the subject warn.

“I just think that this is kind of an industry-wide thing where I think we could work harder at anticipating (problems),” said Cami Ryan, an advocate for awareness of the twin phenomena and their threat to the ag space.

It’s not realistic to expect the flow of false claims masquerading as fact to stop, Ryan said. However, gaining digital literacy, paired with a dose of critical thinking, can go a long way towards being able to identify them.

“I just think that this is kind of an industry-wide thing where I think we could work harder at anticipating (problems),” said Ryan, who holds a day job as social sciences lead for Bayer Global’s North America regulatory science division.

An associate professor with the University of Guelph’s agrees that false claims are a challenge the ag industry can’t afford to ignore.

“I think it’s very important, given that we have really moved to an advanced digitalized world,” said Ataharul Chowdhury of the school’s environmental design and rural development department.

Chowdhury has made misinformation and disinformation in agriculture the subject of his academic research.

“There’s so much information available, but what is right and applicable?” he said. “That’s very difficult to decide, given that so much information is there.”