The Digitalization of the European Agri-Food Cooperative Sector. Determining Factors to Embrace Information and Communication Technologies

Javier Jorge-Vázquez, Peana Chivite-Cebolla Mª and Francisco Salinas-Ramos
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Javier Jorge-Vázquez: DEKIS Research Group, Department of Economics, Catholic University of Ávila, 05005 Avila, Spain
Peana Chivite-Cebolla Mª: DEKIS Research Group, Department of Economics, Catholic University of Ávila, 05005 Avila, Spain
Francisco Salinas-Ramos: Department of Economics, Catholic University of Ávila, 05005 Avila, Spain
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Javier Jorge Vázquez Sr.

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: The digitization of the agri-food sector is a strategic priority in the political agenda of European institutions. The opportunity to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the sector offered by new technologies comes together with its potential to face new economic and environmental challenges. This research aims to analyze the level of digitalization of the European agri-food cooperative sector from the construction of a composite synthetic index. Such an index is to be based on a diverse set of variables related to electronic commerce and the services offered through the internet. It also evaluates how European cooperatives influence the degree of technological adoption depending on their size or the wealth of the country where they carry out their activity. The empirical analytical method is thus used, through the analysis of frequencies and correlations. The results obtained reveal the existence of a suboptimal and heterogeneous degree of digitization of European agri-food cooperatives, clearly conditioned by their size and the wealth of the country where they operate. In this situation, it is recommended to promote public policies that guarantee high-performance digital connectivity, an improvement in training in digital skills and the promotion of cooperative integration processes.

Keywords: agroindustrial; agricultural cooperative; technology adoption; technology and competitiveness; information and communication technology; digital transformation; agri-food cooperatives (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:6:p:514-:d:567489

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