This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of digital agriculture ecosystems for smallholder farmers, examining research from 2017 to 2022. The study identifies key challenges, usage patterns, benefits, and levels of access related to digital solutions for these farmers. It provides a research agenda aimed at facilitating digital transformation in this sector.
Key Insights
Challenge: Digital Infrastructure
More than 50% of the challenges identified concern digital infrastructure, including land tenure issues, telecommunications, electrical infrastructure and remote locations.
Challenge: Affordability
More than 75% of the challenges identified concern affordability, including data rates and communication costs, technology costs, maintainance and replacement of labor, and lack of financial and human resources.
Challenge: Digital Literacy and Skills
More than 90% of the challenges identified concern digital literacy and skills, including inadequate information about digital solutions, agriculture being a new concept to smallholder farmers, lack of perceived value, timely and relevant information, language barriers, first generation in farming (the Old), and a lack of knowledge about digital solutions.
Use of Digital Solutions
Smallholder farmers are using digital solutions mainly for accessing agricultural information (46%) and monitoring and tracing (46%), followed by selling and/or marketing of products (29%), detection (25%), and planting and production (21%).
Factors Influencing Uptake: Digital Literacy and Skills
The primary factor influencing the uptake of digital solutions by smallholder farmers is digital literacy or skills (87%). Digital literacy or skills can be improved through timely and up-to-date data and knowledge, creating awareness, changing perceptions and behaviors, specific training for older farmers, understanding from farmers how digital solutions should be introduced to them, understanding the knowledge and attitude status of farmers, the inclusion of youth in agricultural education and training, smart agriculture knowledge, and business knowledge and capabilities.
Factors Influencing Uptake: Business Model Innovation
Business models can be innovated by offering off-the-shelf or do-it-yourself (DIY) digital solutions and through enhanced usability/ease of use; reproducibility of offered digital solutions; government and private sector partnerships (public-private partnerships); partnerships with community-based farmer associations; gender-responsive digital solutions; localized or contextualized digital solutions; and by ensuring the usefulness and utility of the offered digital solutions.
Key Statistics & Data
- Approximately 500 million smallholder farmers globally provide an estimated 70-80% of the food produced in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
- Challenges identified:
- Digital Infrastructure: Over 50%
- Affordability: Over 75%
- Digital Literacy or Skills: Over 90%
- Use of digital solutions by smallholder farmers:
- Accessing agricultural information: 46%
- Monitoring and tracing: 46%
- Selling and/or marketing products: 29%
- Detection: 25%
- Planting and production: 21%
Methodology
The study followed Amui et al.’s (2017) systematic review protocol. The protocol is similar to that proposed by Lage Junior and Godinho Filho (17). The first steps were (1) the construction of the search terms, (2) the identification of the relevant data sources, and (3) the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search terms were derived from the unit of analysis (smallholder farmers) and technology artifact (digital agriculture ecosystem). The dimensions (factors) of interest (challenges, access to, uptake, factors, use, and benefits) emerged from the SLR guided by the research questions (RQ1 to RQ6).
Implications and Conclusions
The research indicates digital agriculture ecosystems are still too underdeveloped for smallholder farmers to be able to consider digital agriculture as a viable solution to their needs and requirements. As a result, only a few smallholder farmers are currently using digital solutions in their businesses to access agricultural information and to sell and market their agricultural produce. The key research gap calls for further studies, as the successful adoption of digital solutions by smallholder farmers is contingent on the existence of fully functional digital agriculture ecosystems within the smallholder farmers’ contexts and environments. This article has drawn out an agenda for future research by suggesting new questions in the six thematic areas (digital platforms, digital infrastructure, business model innovation, digital literacy or skills, affordability, 4IR technologies, and data trust and security) to close the research gap.
Key Points
- Smallholder farmers are critical to global food security, especially in developing countries, but face challenges like climate change and limited resources.
- Digital agriculture offers a viable solution but is often inaccessible due to underdeveloped digital ecosystems.
- Key challenges include digital infrastructure, affordability, and digital literacy/skills.
- Research on digital literacy/skills, affordability, and business model innovation within digital agriculture is very limited.
- Smallholder farmers primarily use digital solutions for accessing agricultural information and for monitoring/tracing their products.
- Factors influencing the uptake of digital solutions include digital literacy/skills, business model innovation, and government policies.
- Benefits of digital solutions include improved productivity, better earnings, higher yields, and access to markets.