Digital Transformation and Precision Farming as Catalysts of Rural Development

Andrey Ronzhin, Aleksandra Figurek (), Vladimir Surovtsev and Khapsat Dibirova
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Andrey Ronzhin: St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS), Institute for Informatics and Automation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 39, 14th Line, 199178 St. Petersburg, Russia
Aleksandra Figurek: School of Business, GNOSIS Mediterranean Institute for Management Science, University of Nicosia, Nicosia 1700, Cyprus
Vladimir Surovtsev: St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS), Institute of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, 199178 St. Petersburg, Russia
Khapsat Dibirova: St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS), Institute of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, 199178 St. Petersburg, Russia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-35

Abstract: The European Union’s developing rural development plan places digital and precision agriculture at the centre of agricultural modernisation and economic development. This article examines how agricultural practices in rural EU regions are being influenced by smart technology, such as drones, IoT sensors, satellite-based research, and AI-driven platforms, through an analysis of recent data from sources across the European Union. This study applies a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis of strategic policy documents and EU databases, to evaluate the ways in which precision agriculture reduces input consumption, increases productivity, reduces labour shortages and rural area depopulation, and improves sustainability. By investing in infrastructure, developing communities for data exchange, and organising training for farmers, European policies such as the Strategic Plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the SmartAgriHubs initiative, and the AgData program actively encourage the transition to digital agriculture. Cyprus is analysed as a case study to show how targeted investments and initiatives supported by the EU can help smaller countries, with limited natural resources, to realise the benefits of digital transformation in agriculture. A special focus is placed on how solutions adapted to agro-climatic and socioeconomic conditions can contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, attracting young people to get involved in this field and opening up new economic opportunities. The results of previous research indicate that digital agriculture not only improves productivity but also proves to be a strategic mechanism for attracting and retaining young people in rural areas. Thus, this work additionally contributes to the broader goal of the European Union—the development of smart, inclusive, and sustainable rural areas, in which digital technologies are not only seen as tools for efficiency but also as key means for integrated and long-term rural development.

Keywords: drones; AI in agriculture; smart rural transformation; digital farming; precision agriculture; AgriTech innovation; rural development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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