Paper short abstract:

In aquaculture platforms, data becomes key in connecting a variety of farming practices, from growing to selling fish. While data objects steer practices in a particular direction, fish farmers also calibrate the technologies to their own situation and benefit from collective digital representation

Paper long abstract:

Digital platforms are seen as promising tools to empower smallholder farmers and improve the sustainability of their production practices. However, realizing this promise will depend on the ways in which platforms get integrated into, reconfigure, and steer smallholder farming practices. In this paper we analyse the case of a digital platform for small-scale aquaculture in Indonesia. We build on social practice theory to understand the platformisation of fish farming practices as a process in which data becomes the key organising object in connecting a variety of farming practices. Through interviews with fish farmers, input suppliers and buyers, as well as the platform providers and user interface developers we trace how fish farmers get enrolled in the platform ecosystem. We show that with the introduction of an automated, internet-connected feeder machine at the pond, fish farming practices become datafied. The resulting data object of a ‘feed conversion rate’ then starts to prefigure other practices of the fish farmers, such as buying inputs, getting access to finance, harvesting, and selling the fish. Next, aggregation these datafied farming practices at the platform provider’s regional hubs and head quarter enables new forms of steering (sustainable) markets. Instead of a platform logic being imposed on small-scale producers, we show that platformisation requires various forms of work from both platform users and providers. While the data objects steer practices in the direction of economic efficiency, fish farmers can also calibrate the technologies to their own situation and needs and benefit from collective digital representation.