The right-to-repair battle has caused contention in the agricultural sector for years. John Deere, Kubota and others have been notable resistors to change regarding farmers working independently on branded machinery with non-OEM parts. A recent agreement has changed the right to repair discourse, but revolutionary technology makes discussions more nuanced. How will the entry of automated tractors into the mainstream impact the situation?

How Do Autonomous Tractors and the Right to Repair Relate?

Are autonomous vehicles (AVs) leverage for farmers to earn more rights to repair or will they help farm equipment manufacturers in the long run? The memorandum of understanding detailing the victory for farmers defines how operating on them might be more complex than they perceive.

When John Deere made its landmark decision to give equipment owners the right to repair, farmers remained skeptical. They were right to do so, as the agreement was with the private American Farm Bureau Federation instead of a federal body passing legislative action.

Consequences for stepping away from the signed agreement are less severe than defying prescribed law, making accountability for this accord nonexistent. Plus, clauses within the document still allow John Deere to withhold helpful knowledge, which prevents farmers from learning how to repair equipment fully.

What Tech Inclusions Are in the MOUs?

Despite non-autonomous tractors having software and tech, what makers include in AVs will be more intricate regarding their proprietary engine control unit and other parts. The MOUs outline what constitutes embedded software for tractor makers. This consists of any firmware and operating systems that are instructional or communicative with the agtech’s hardware, in addition to manufacturer-issued updates and patches.

Companies like AGCO, CNH Industrial, John Deere and others promise to make equipment data available to farmers, programs immediately remotely accessible, and software acquisition easy. Plenty of phrases shield them from ultimately admitting how to repair digital systems fully, such as a notice that they do not have to divulge trade secrets or display information if not deemed practical. How far can this language provide a false sense of a right to repair?

What Are the Boons?

AVs open the right to repair conversation into more comprehensive territories. Private organizations like the AFBF or regulatory bodies must adequately parse how digital intellectual properties relate to the right-to-repair movement. The questions and gaps in the current agreements will ignite necessary discussions into more definitive compromises and actions.

Additionally, the potential for farmers to repair their autonomous tractors provides a never-before-seen empowerment and upskilling opportunity for agriculturalists. Many rely on antiquated technologies, so AVs might be their first prominent introduction to modern, smart machinery. They may also feel encouraged to choose used farming equipment to avoid the sky-high prices of new AVs, potentially reducing the learning curve.

Their willingness to repair more advanced systems will start a productive dialog with manufacturers on how they can improve their products and make them more accessible to customers.

What Are the Detractors?

Repairing AVs with novel digital infrastructure may lead to more issues than farmers can handle. What if this is their first introduction to advanced agtech? Liabilities may arise.

For example, unintentionally manipulating source code to fix an issue could override safety features, inviting lawsuits against farm equipment manufacturers. Tinkering with other cyber systems may open more backdoors for cyberattacks, jeopardizing farmers' livelihoods.

Determining these barriers may discourage progress in the right-to-repair discussion because there are many logistical unknowns about the consequences. Alternatively, digitized tractor systems might make it easier for equipment makers to lock software, potentially revealing loopholes in the MOUs to get customers to work with OEMs instead of aftermarket or DIY options.

Will Autonomous Tractors Help or Hurt the Right to Repair?

There is no certainty how AVs on farms will help or hinder the right-to-repair movement — it will only deepen its complexity. Farmers must be more critical and vocal about agreements and lobby for more robust, widespread legislation instead of finding private agreements sufficient. Budding technologies like AI and machine learning will empower tractors behind farmers’ dreams, catapulting them into a new era of productivity — only if manufacturers compromise with them.