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Smart farming technologies adoption: Which factors play a role in the digital transition?

Author

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  • Giua, Carlo
  • Materia, Valentina Cristiana
  • Camanzi, Luca

Abstract

Smart Farming Technologies (SFT) are smart devices part of a cyber-physical system able to improve farm management. Compared to other digital technologies' functionalities, SFT generate a multitude of data that once combined can be used not only on-farm but across the entire supply chain. Although recent studies highlighted how the lack of users’ resources and competences might hinder the diffusion of digital agriculture technologies overall, few studies so far focused specifically on SFT. Moreover, the extant literature interprets the adoption decision mostly as “one-off binary” process, and limited attention is given to individual aspects of users and farms. Therefore, this study investigates the adoption of SFT analyzing various aspects of its complex nature; on the one hand, the analysis considers the multi-step nature of the adoption decision process: first, intention formation and then, actual adoption decision. On the other hand, the SFT adoption process is interpreted as being determined by several typologies of determinants beyond the most studied ones, with a particular focus on the role that organizational conditions and the supply chain governance structure play in influencing farmers' adoption of SFT.

Suggested Citation

  • Giua, Carlo & Materia, Valentina Cristiana & Camanzi, Luca, 2022. "Smart farming technologies adoption: Which factors play a role in the digital transition?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:68:y:2022:i:c:s0160791x22000100
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101869
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