The Effects of Individual Variables, Farming System Characteristics and Perceived Barriers on Actual Use of Smart Farming Technologies: Evidence from the Piedmont Region, Northwestern Italy

Federica Caffaro and Eugenio Cavallo
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Federica Caffaro: Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER) of the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy
Eugenio Cavallo: Institute for Agricultural and Earthmoving Machines (IMAMOTER) of the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Strada delle Cacce 73, 10135 Torino, Italy

Agriculture, 2019, vol. 9, issue 5, 1-13

Abstract: Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) have a real potential to deliver more productive and sustainable agricultural production. However, limited empirical research is available on the role played by objective and subjective factors in the adoption of such disruptive innovations, especially in the Italian context. This study investigated the role of education, farm size, being a sole farmer, and perceived barriers in affecting the use of SFTs in a sample of Italian farmers from the Piedmont region (North-West Italy). Three hundred and ten farming operators were questioned via a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The analyses showed that low levels of education and working on-farm alone were positively associated with perceived economic barriers, which in turn were negatively associated with the adoption of SFTs. Farm size had a positive direct effect on SFT adoption. The results pointed out the need for targeted policies and training interventions to encourage the use of SFTs.

Keywords: barrier to innovation; farmers’ perception; innovation adoption; Smart Farming; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:9:y:2019:i:5:p:111-:d:233686

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