E-commerce and ICT adoption in the Spanish agri-food sector: looking for key factors performance in e-food markets.

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes the importance of e-commerce and information and communications technology (ICT) in the Spanish food market. The situation in Spain may give some clues to other countries with similar conditions for adapting their actions in the adoption of ICT processes. Some possibilities for e-markets with the applications of ICT are described, and barriers and motives. Some general information on the situation of Spain may help to understand the reasons why Spain is behind other developed countries in this area. We focus attention on a specific area: the role of trust in commercial transactions, including basic concepts, typology and practical perspectives. The challenge is to look for some other elements, besides traditional socio-economic ones. Some experts consider that transparency and trust are key elements for the take-off of ICT and adoption of e-commerce. The chapter is organized in sections. There is a general introduction on the interface of ICT with agriculture. Agriculture and food sectors usually present a lower rate of ICT adoption; the development of e-business strategies is far behind other economic sectors. It should be recognized (at least in theory) that agri-food entrepreneurship could benefit significantly from ICT in several ways: information flow, market transparency and reduction of transaction costs, for example. All of them are good opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gain new customers regardless of their geographical location, which means the possibility of new markets. However, there are several barriers to adoption of ICT and we will focus on the lack of trust suffered by agribusiness stakeholders. E-commerce needs to be understood and somehow culturally accepted by the socio-economic actors who have a strong tradition in face-to-face business. The following sections deal with the role of trust in commercial transactions. The starting point is the concept of trust, followed by its application online and the different scenarios to analyse: technology, marketplace and market participation. The next section describes the specific application of ICT and e-business to the Spanish agri-food market. It gives an overview of the situation, barriers and motives, comparing the food and non-food sectors. Finally there is a section on future opportunities and recommendations.