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Diversity in agricultural technology adoption: How are automatic milking systems used and to what end?

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  • Rebecca Schewe
  • Diana Stuart

Abstract

Adoption of technology in agriculture can significantly reorganize production and relationships amongst humans, animals, technology, and the natural environment. However, the adoption of agricultural technology is not homogenous, and diversity in integration leads to a diversity of outcomes and impacts. In this study, we examine the adoption of automated milking systems (AMS) in small and midsize dairy farms in the US Midwest, the Netherlands, and Denmark. In contrast to technological determinism, we find significant variation amongst adopters in the implementation of AMS and corresponding variation in outcomes. Adopters have significant discretion in determining the use of AMS, which leads to a diversity of possible outcomes for family and non-family labor, human–cow relationships, animal welfare, the environment, and financial resiliency. Adoption and implementation are shaped by both structural factors, such as debt load and labor market variation, and by farmers’ individual personality traits and values, such as a willingness (or not) to release control to technology. Rather than uniform adoption and impacts of technology, we highlight the importance of context, the co-constitution of technology and users, and the diversity of technology adoption and its associated impacts. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Rebecca Schewe & Diana Stuart, 2015. "Diversity in agricultural technology adoption: How are automatic milking systems used and to what end?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(2), pages 199-213, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:32:y:2015:i:2:p:199-213
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-014-9542-2
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    5. Leland Glenna & Raymond Jussaume & Julie Dawson, 2011. "How farmers matter in shaping agricultural technologies: social and structural characteristics of wheat growers and wheat varieties," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(2), pages 213-224, June.
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    2. Balaine, Lorraine & Dillon, Emma J. & Läpple, Doris & Lynch, John, 2020. "Can technology help achieve sustainable intensification? Evidence from milk recording on Irish dairy farms," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    3. McGrath, Karen & Brown, Claire & Regan, Áine & Russell, Tomás, 2023. "Investigating narratives and trends in digital agriculture: A scoping study of social and behavioural science studies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Anastasiia BURDIUZHA, 2021. "Qualitative Assessment Of Precision Dairy Farming Impact On Farm Sustainability In Ukraine: The Farmers' Perspective," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 27, pages 163-173, December.
    5. Emily Duncan & Alesandros Glaros & Dennis Z. Ross & Eric Nost, 2021. "New but for whom? Discourses of innovation in precision agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(4), pages 1181-1199, December.
    6. Martinsson, Elin & Storm, Hugo, 2022. "Evaluating environmental effects of the adoption of automatic milking systems in Norway," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321199, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    7. Marie A. Hayden & Menekse S. Barim & Darlene L. Weaver & K. C. Elliott & Michael A. Flynn & Jennifer M. Lincoln, 2022. "Occupational Safety and Health with Technological Developments in Livestock Farms: A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Patrick Baur & Alastair Iles, 2023. "Inserting machines, displacing people: how automation imaginaries for agriculture promise ‘liberation’ from the industrialized farm," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 815-833, September.
    9. Ferreira Gonzaga, Jenifer & Vilpoux, Olivier François & Gomes Pereira, Matheus Wemerson, 2019. "Factors influencing technological practices in the Brazilian agrarian reform," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 150-162.
    10. Jérémie Forney & Angga Dwiartama & Dana Bentia, 2023. "Everyday digitalization in food and agriculture: Introduction to the symposium," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 417-421, June.
    11. Guang Chen & Yue Deng & Apurbo Sarkar & Zhengbing Wang, 2022. "An Integrated Assessment of Different Types of Environment-Friendly Technological Progress and Their Spatial Spillover Effects in the Chinese Agriculture Sector," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-24, July.
    12. Kim S. Alexander & Garry Greenhalgh & Magnus Moglia & Manithaythip Thephavanh & Phonevilay Sinavong & Silva Larson & Tom Jovanovic & Peter Case, 2020. "What is technology adoption? Exploring the agricultural research value chain for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(1), pages 17-32, March.

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