Despite an increase in breadth of precision agriculture over time, and the attendant elements of digital agriculture that either support PA or integrates the outputs of PA, the pace of adoption of digital agriculture in our farming systems remains slow. In assessing impediments to adoption of digital agriculture, much work to date has focused on the value proposition as considered by individual producers or value chain actors.  At this level, adoption remains constrained by perceptions of high establishment and recurrent costs, lack of applicability and user accessibility and perceptions of technological risk.

The value proposition of digital agriculture, and the accompanying digitalisation of farming practice is set to be empowered through the emergence of ‘connected’ farming, namely the linking of food production through sustainability and value chains. 

Of course, connectivity adds complexity to on-farm production systems and this demands, in addition to tactical digital decision-making tools, integrative tools to assist in longer-term planning factoring in those complexities  Moreover, effective adoption relies upon ‘individual’ intentions, resources and existing formal relations along the supply chain. This naturally favors larger-scale corporate entities, although increasingly smaller-scale producers are now engaging in digital integration/aggregation (and enablement) via alternative food networks (AFN).

The role of sustainability and value chains in influencing on-farm digital adoption will continue to increase and there is the risk of a new ‘digital divide’ for farmers; the haves and have-nots of ‘connected’ systems. We must not lose sight of the individual ‘mum and dad’ producers in all of this. The day-to-day challenges of on-farm adopting of digital technology remains.