Maturity level and Effects of the 4.0 Paradigm on the Italian Agricultural Industry: A preliminary study

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to assess the readiness of Italian farms to actively engage in the journey of "Agriculture 4.0" (Agri 4.0). Specifically, the focus lies on analyzing the levels of knowledge and adoption of specific Agri 4.0 enabling solutions, while also considering the underlying business needs and the primary benefits of the paradigm. A descriptive survey was conducted involving 543 respondents associated with agricultural companies of varying sizes. The collected data was analyzed to address four specific research questions. The survey findings indicate that Italian farms are at different stages in their progression towards the Agri 4.0 paradigm, primarily influenced by their revenue and land size. Furthermore, notable similarities exist in both the benefits associated with adopting the Agri 4.0 paradigm and business needs that bring farmers in adopting such technologies. In terms of future research, conducting a similar study in other countries would be beneficial for comparative and benchmark analyses. Despite scholarly discussions regarding technology adoption and the benefits of the Agri 4.0 paradigm are present to the authors' knowledge few empirical surveys have been conducted thus far to evaluate the level of digital solution adoption in agriculture within a specific country. Specifically, this preliminary study follows research conducted two years ago, paving the way for a longitudinal comparison of the two datasets.