Digital (“Agriculture 4.0”) technologies can improve both sustainability and productivity; however, their uptake in Italy remains uneven, partly due to fragmented farm structures and limited digital readiness. Grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP) and underpinned by Random Utility Theory, the study employs a nationwide discrete choice experiment (n = 452, May–June 2024) and a mixed logit model in willingness to pay (WTP) space to quantify Italian farmers’ preferences and WTP for five key attributes: work hours saved, energy saved, water saved, sales increase, and adoption cost. The results show that farmers place the highest WTP on labour and water savings, followed by the prospect of higher sales, whereas energy-saving attributes exert the weakest influence. High adoption costs are a major deterrent, especially for small and medium-sized farms. Interaction effects reveal that farm size, working hours, income, resource use and attitudes towards innovation significantly moderate preferences. The findings highlight the need for differentiated policy packages – combining financial incentives, tailored training, and effective communication – to foster wider and more equitable adoption of Agriculture 4.0 technologies in Italy.
Italian farmers’ preferences for adopting agriculture 4.0 technologies: A choice experiment analysis
Fragomeli R.
;Annunziata A.;Punzo G.
2025-01-01
Abstract
Digital (“Agriculture 4.0”) technologies can improve both sustainability and productivity; however, their uptake in Italy remains uneven, partly due to fragmented farm structures and limited digital readiness. Grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Goal Pursuit (TRGP) and underpinned by Random Utility Theory, the study employs a nationwide discrete choice experiment (n = 452, May–June 2024) and a mixed logit model in willingness to pay (WTP) space to quantify Italian farmers’ preferences and WTP for five key attributes: work hours saved, energy saved, water saved, sales increase, and adoption cost. The results show that farmers place the highest WTP on labour and water savings, followed by the prospect of higher sales, whereas energy-saving attributes exert the weakest influence. High adoption costs are a major deterrent, especially for small and medium-sized farms. Interaction effects reveal that farm size, working hours, income, resource use and attitudes towards innovation significantly moderate preferences. The findings highlight the need for differentiated policy packages – combining financial incentives, tailored training, and effective communication – to foster wider and more equitable adoption of Agriculture 4.0 technologies in Italy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
