Use of digital tools, innovation capabilities, and results of soybean farmers in Paraná and MATOPIBA (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia)

Brazil is one of the most important agricultural producers in the world, being a fundamental supplier of food. The most prominent agricultural crop in the country is soybeans, a crop in which the country is the leading producer and exporter, with high levels of productivity and a production system based on locally developed scientific knowledge. The cultivation makes intensive use of technology and innovation, and given the digital transformation it has been undergoing, the objective of this research was to understand the reality and future perspectives of rural producers in terms of seeking and using innovations, their habits of using digital tools, and their usefulness in management and decision-making in agricultural activity. 55 producers from two important soybean-producing regions, Central and Northern Paraná and the MATOPIBA region, were interviewed using electronic forms and telephone calls.The results were analyzed using Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling to confirm the hypotheses or constructs. The use of digital tools on the farms had a very significant positive influence on the capacity for innovation, as well as on the absorption of innovation. In turn, the capacity for innovation also had a positive effect on generating competitive advantages for the farms. However, it was not possible to prove an influence of innovation absorption on competitive advantages. Improving and stimulating the use of digital tools aimed at agribusiness is important, and similar studies will be necessary to generate information and accelerate the digital transformation in the agricultural sector.