Digital transformation of fruit farming in Germany: Digital tool development, stakeholder perceptions, adoption, and barriers

ABSTRACT

The digital transformation of agriculture promises technical solutions for present and future challenges. However, it cannot be assumed that such promises will automatically lead to implementation of the technologies, nor if the technologies meet the user expectations. To this end, the authors conducted a novel review and characterization of over 200 digital tools for fruit cultivation by on-farm functions and 23 interviews with stakeholders related to fruit cultivation in the case-study region of Lake of Constance, Germany. Results indicate strengths and weaknesses in the development of digital tools. A cross-analysis of the available tools, stakeholder expectations, and implemented tools indicates commonalities and discrepancies. Tool characteristics that meet stakeholder expectations and adoption by farmers are identified, as well as those that may be impacted greatest by the reported barriers. An uneven distribution of knowledge on digitalisation in this sector was evident among stakeholders. The authors identify opportunities for technological development and recommendations to support a user-oriented transformation. Unsuitable tool development and an uneven distribution of digital knowledge in the fruit production industry could lead to a consequential sectoral, regional, and/or national digital divide between those with access to cutting-edge technologies and those without. To further improve the sustainability and resilience of food production, technological development must take into account the needs of stakeholders and support a more user-orientated strategy to support the transformation. Further research on stakeholders’ perspectives on digital innovations is needed to investigate if the findings match to other fruit growing regions in Germany and abroad.

KEYWORD:

• Digital technology
• stakeholder perceptions
• adoption
• barriers
• Germany
• fruit farming

Acknowledgments

This study is conducted under the European Commission Horizon 2020 project DESIRA (Digitization: Economic and Social Impacts in Rural areas), which aims to improve the capacities of society and political bodies to respond to the challenges that digitalization generates in agriculture, forestry, and the rural regions (DESIRA, 2019). The authors wish to thank Tom Huhnke for his valuable contributions to the digital tool review.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/27685241.2024.2349544

Consent for publication

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants interviewed for the study.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

¹ German horticulture is comprised of two production systems: integrated production (IP) and organic. The choice of PPP and the holistic nature of the production system differentiate the two systems (Das Grüne Lexikon Hortipendium, 2021; Landwirtschaftliches Technologiezentrum Augustenberg LTZ, 2023).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the DESIRA Project, funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement No.[818194].