The ELSA Lab at Wageningen University & Research explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be developed and deployed in a responsible and trustworthy way within the agri‑food sector. In a domain where technology is becoming increasingly intertwined with food production, nature, and society, the central question is: how can AI contribute to sustainable, fair, and socially responsible food systems?
The ELSA Lab is a virtual lab bringing together ELSA researchers who develop and apply methodologies that integrate ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) from the earliest stages of AI design. By involving companies, technology developers, end users, policymakers, and societal organizations, ELSA researchers explore how values such as transparency, fairness, responsibility, and trustworthiness can be meaningfully embedded in AI innovations.
Through practice‑oriented ELSA assessments (ELSA Scans), collaborative learning, and a combination of fundamental and applied research, the lab delivers not only academic insights but also directly applicable guidance for AI developers and users in agri‑food practice to support responsible AI development. In this way, the ELSA Lab serves as a bridge between technology, science, and society, aiming to foster AI innovations that are not only smart and efficient, but also socially accepted and future‑proof.
Companies and public institutions can engage with the ELSA Lab to access recent research insights, undertake an ELSA Scan identifying relevant ELSA aspects, participate in stakeholder workshops to explore additional perspectives on ELSA challenges and solution pathways, and attend presentations on responsible AI use in the agri‑food domain.
