March 2021 agricultural “platforms” in a digital era

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5. WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS AND 
POWER DYNAMICS: Reduced
security and benefits for gig workers 
compared to traditional employment. 
Many non-agriculture Platforms are based 
around the concept of the gig economy. 
Platform-based gig workers (such as taxi 
drivers, food delivery contractors, and 
cleaners) typically operate as contractors, 
enjoying no or very limited legal protections 
when compared to employees in traditional 
pipeline businesses. In agriculture, the jury is 
still out on the scale of this risk: rural youth 
often face a significant lack of (stable and 
formal) employment opportunities and enjoy 
limited workforce protections when they are 
employed. Platforms can provide a structure 
to current informal employment practices 
and increase the efficiency with which rural 
youth can find job opportunities. However, as 
Platforms continue to grow—and the markets 
in which these Platforms operate become more 
mature—a relative lack of protections for gig 
workers may become a challenge.
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6. VULNERABLE POPULATION SUB- 
SEGMENTS: While likely improving 
inclusion for some vulnerable population 
sub-segments, Platforms may not be 
able to reach all vulnerable segments and 
may thereby exacerbate the digital gap. 
Due to lower mobile and/or digital connec-
tivity (e.g., such as that faced by women) or 
more difficult economics for certain segments 
of farmers (e.g., remote subsistence farmers), 
the complexity and difficulty of reaching these 
farmers may be too high for Platforms, who 
may not be able to find a way of including 
these farmers in a commercially viable way. 
Without alternatives for these population 
sub-segments, the gap between these farmers 
and farmers that are included on Platforms 
may increase, improving rural livelihoods for 
some while leaving others behind. Platforms—
especially those with a profit motive— will 
often have little direct incentive to resolve 
these challenges, and therefore action by policy-
makers and development actors is likely needed, 
for instance by creating more employment 
opportunities through broader rural economic 
development strategies. Efforts and capital 
invested into Platforms should not come at 
the expense of improving livelihoods of pop-
ulations unlikely to benefit from a ‘Platform 
revolution’ in agriculture. By contributing to 
more vibrant agricultural markets, Platforms 
can indirectly contribute to creating more 
employment opportunities for vulnerable 
population segments outside of farming and 
even outside of agriculture in rural areas.
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For new research on the intersection between Platforms and the gig economy in rural and agricultural settings, we recommend the following 
sources: Donner, J., M. Dean, J. Osborn, and A. Schiff (2019). Platform-Led Upskilling: How marketplace Platforms can transform emerg-
ing markets by investing in skills development. Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom: Caribou Digital Publishing. 
cariboudigital.net/wp-con-
tent/uploads/2020/04/PLTU-FINAL-WEB-v2.1.pdf
; Partnership for Finance in a Digital Africa (2019). Platform livelihoods: Surviving and 
thriving in digital marketplaces. 
platformlivelihoods.com/
.