The Digital Applications of “Agriculture 4.0”: Strategic Opportunity for the Development of the Italian Citrus Chain

Alessandro Scuderi, Giovanni La Via, Giuseppe Timpanaro and Luisa Sturiale
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Alessandro Scuderi: Department of Agrifood and Environmental Systems and Management (Di3A), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giovanni La Via: Department of Agrifood and Environmental Systems and Management (Di3A), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Luisa Sturiale: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAR), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Contemporary agriculture is increasingly oriented toward the synergistic adoption of technologies such as the Internet of Things, Internet of Farming, big data analytics, and blockchain to combine resource protection and economic, social, and environmental sustainability. In Italy, the market growth potential of “Agriculture 4.0” and “Farming 4.0” solutions is very high, but the adoption of the related technological innovations is still low. Italian companies are increasingly aware of the opportunities offered by the 4.0 paradigm, but there are still cultural and technological limits to the full development of the phenomenon. This research aims to contribute to knowledge that will improve the propensity of agricultural operators to adopt the digital solutions of “Agriculture 4.0” by demonstrating its potential, along with its limits. To this end, an integrated methodological approach was adopted, built with focus groups and multicriteria analysis, to define and assess the possible future scenarios resulting from the implementation of digital transformation. The results show an increased focus on solutions that allow the integration of new tools to support those already used in the business organization and at a sustainable cost. To enable the development of “Agriculture 4.0”, we propose that it is necessary to invest in training operators in the supply chain, and above all, raising awareness among farmers, who it is essential fully appreciate the potential benefits of the 4.0 revolution.

Keywords: digital transformation; smart agrifood; Internet of Things; Internet of Farming; Farming 4.0; precision agriculture; multicriteria analysis (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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