A Technology Mapping Approach to the Value Proposition for Agri-food Firms and Supply Chains of Digital Transformation

Despite the promise of substantial gains from digital transformation, its incidence remains low in the agri-food sector and the broader food system. Understanding of the transformation process is somewhat well developed, but not as it occurs on farms and in agri-food supply chains. Contemporary pressures on the agri-food sectors advocated for improvements in multiple facets of performance. Digital technologies are increasingly looked to as a means of performance improvement. Practical interpretation of the value proposition offered by digital technology to the agri-food sector has not been implemented as a generalisable decision tool. Sustainability, resilience, and natural cycles for material and energy are of increasing performance relevance but have not been analytically linked to agri-food’s digital transformation. Quantification of benefits and costs has not been widely attempted. The current paper presents an empirical study employing technology mapping to quantify costs and benefits of technological change in the agri-food system. It identifies Research and Development impetus for change by mapping research output to high value technologies for a selection of industries. Particular emphasis is given to production tasks amenable to digital adoption, and to the transformations generating subsequent value within and beyond the adopter’s enterprise. Decision tools are developed to guide investment by private, public and industry stakeholders, in response to forms and magnitudes of benefit and cost. This paper outlines the methodology used, preliminary results, and prototype decision tools. Conflicts arising between performance metrics are identified and solutions proposed. The implications for stakeholders of a more visible and quantifiable value proposition for digital transformation are discussed in the contexts of received opinion about the effects of digital agriculture and the current and strategic needs of firms, industry and society.