MST's Arvoredo app: Family farmers and grassroots environmental data-driven governance in Brazil

The pervasive use of digital technologies in agriculture has drawn substantial critical attention, predominantly focusing on how industrial agriculture leverages digital tools and services to exert control and maximize profits across food systems. In contrast, the dynamic engagement of family farmers with digital technologies remains underexplored. This study addresses said gap by examining the Arvoredo app, developed by the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Brazil. The app facilitates documentation, monitoring, and evaluation of grassroots environmental governance activities, including tree planting, agroforestry practices, tree nursery construction, and seed collection efforts among MST members. Drawing on field visits, interviews with MST leaders involved in the app's creation and promotion, and a focus group with app users, this research explores how Arvoredo has become a pivotal community tool for environmental governance. We identify potential benefits, such as grassroots data production, enhanced environmental monitoring, and increased visibility of MST's engagement with environmental crises. However, we also highlight critical concerns, including limited internet access, digital literacy barriers, and sustaining active member engagement. MST's experience with Arvoredo demonstrates how small-scale family farmers utilize digital technologies in ways that contrast the dominance of industrial agriculture. The app provides critical insights into the intersections of agriculture, land use, digital infrastructure, and environmental governance, offering a nuanced understanding of the transformative potential of grassroots technological innovation.