Agritech policy landscape: Insights from relevant stakeholders on policy issues and strategic plans in Italy
Published 2025-09-04
Keywords
- Agritech,
- technology adoption,
- Eu agricultural policy,
- sustainability,
- stakeholders’ perspectives
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmed Moussaoui, Rino Ghelfi, Davide Viaggi

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Agricultural practices face growing challenges, including climate change, resource constraints, meeting sustainability goals and food security. This study examines stakeholder perspectives on smart farming technologies and their integration into policy frameworks. A mixed-method approach, using triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data, combines an online survey (targeting experts from academia, industry, and policymaking) distributed through the Agritech project network and face-to-face interviews (engaging key stakeholders with in-depth knowledge of agricultural policy and technology implementation). Key findings reveal significant optimism about the potential of smart technologies to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and productivity in agriculture. However, widespread adoption is hindered by barriers such as high initial investment costs and a lack of technical knowledge. The study identifies policy gaps and provides actionable recommendations, including financial incentives, capacity-building initiatives, and improved infrastructure, to support the integration of these technologies. The findings underscore the critical need for adaptive policies that align with the evolving landscape of agricultural innovation, ensuring equitable access and long-term sustainability.
References
- Akimowicz, M., Del Corso, J.P., Gallai, N., and Képhaliacos, C. (2021). Adopt to adapt? Farmers’ varietal innovation adoption in a context of climate change. The case of sunflower hybrids in France. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123654
- Basso, B. and Antle, J. (2020). Digital Agriculture to Design Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Nature Sustainability, 3: 254–256. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0510-0
- Baker, R., Brick, J. M., Bates, N. A., Battaglia, M., Couper, M. P., Dever, J. A., Gile, K. J., & Tourangeau, R. (2013). Summary report of the AAPOR task force on non-probability sampling. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology, 1(2), 90–143.
- Branca, G., and Perelli, C. (2020). Clearing the air: Common drivers of climate-smart smallholder food production in Eastern and Southern Africa. Journal of Cleaner Production, 270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121900
- Caffaro, F., and Cavallo, E. (2019). The effects of individual variables, farming system characteristics, and perceived barriers on actual use of smart farming technologies: Evidence from the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Agriculture, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9050111
- Candel, J. (2022). EU food-system transition requires innovative policy analysis methods. Nature Food, 3(5), 296–298. https://doi.org/10.1038/S43016-022-00518-7
- Charatsari, C., and Lioutas, E.D. (2013). Of Mice and Men: When Face-to-Face Agricultural Information is replaced by a Mouse Click. Journal of Agricultural and Food Information, 14(2): 103-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496505.2013.774276
- Creswell J.W. and Clark V.L.P. (2017). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. : SAGE Publications.
- Détang-Dessendre, C., Geerling-Eiff, F., Guyomard, H., and Poppe, K. (2018). EU Agriculture and Innovation: What Role for the Cap? INRA and WUR.
- Ehlers, M.H., Finger, R., El Benni, N., Gocht, A., Sørensen, C.A.G., Gusset, M., Pfeifer, C., Poppe, K., Regan, Á., Rose, D.C., Wolfert, S., and Huber, R. (2022). Scenarios for European agricultural policymaking in the era of digitalisation. Agricultural Systems, 196, 103318. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGSY.2021.103318
- European Commission. (2020a). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee of the Regions: A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system.
- FAO (2021). The State of Food and Agriculture 2021. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at: https://www.fao.org/publications/sofa/en/ (Accessed 28 June 2024).
- Fetters, M.D., Curry, L.A. and Creswell, J.W. (2013), Achieving Integration in Mixed Methods Designs – Principles and Practices. Health Serv Res, 48, 2134-2156. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12117
- Fielke, S., Taylor, B., and Jakku, E. (2020). Digitalisation of agricultural knowledge and advice networks: A state-of-the-art review. Agricultural Systems, 180, 102763. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGSY.2019.102763
- Finger, R., Swinton, S.M., El Benni, N., and Walter, A. (2019). Precision Farming at the Nexus of Agricultural Production and the Environment. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 11(1) : 313–335. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-100518-093929
- Giampietri, E., Yu, X., & Trestini, S. (2020). The role of trust and perceived barriers on farmer’s intention to adopt risk management tools. Bio-Based and Applied Economics, 9(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.13128/bae-8416
- Gemtou, M., Guillén, B.C., Anastasiou, E. (2024). Smart Farming Technologies and Sustainability. In: Lynn, T., Rosati, P., Kreps, D., Conboy, K. (eds) Digital Sustainability. Palgrave Studies in Digital Business & Enabling Technologies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61749-2_6
- Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82.
- Jongeneel, R.A. (2020). Research for AGRI Committee – The CAP support beyond 2020 – Assessing the future structure of direct payments and the rural development interventions in the light of the EU agricultural and environmental challenges.
- IPCC (2023). Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/ (Accessed 28 June 2024).
- Knierim, A., Kernecker, M., Erdle, K., Kraus, T., Borges, F., and Wurbs, A. (2019). Smart farming technology innovations – Insights and reflections from the German Smart-AKIS hub. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 90-91, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2019.100314
- Long, T.B., Blok, V., and Coninx, I. (2016). Barriers to the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations for climate-smart agriculture in Europe: Evidence from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 9-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.06.044
- Lovec, M., Šumrada, T., and Erjavec, E. (2020). New CAP Delivery Model, Old Issues. Intereconomics, 55(2): 112–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10272-020-0880-6
- Menozzi, D., Fioravanzi, M., & Donati, M. (2015). Farmer’s motivation to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. Bio-Based and Applied Economics, 4(2), 125-147. https://doi.org/10.13128/bae-14776
- Michalek, J. (2022). Environmental and farm impacts of the EU RDP agri-environmental measures: Evidence from Slovak regions. Land Use Policy, 113: 105924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105924
- Rose, D.C., Wheeler, R., Winter, M., Lobley, M., and Chivers, C.A. (2021). Agriculture 4.0: Making It Work for People, Production, and the Planet. Land Use Policy, 100: 104933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104933
- Weersink, A., Fraser, E., Pannell, D., Duncan, E., and Rotz, S. (2018). Opportunities and Challenges for Big Data in Agricultural and Environmental Analysis. Annual Review of Resource Economics, 10, 19-37. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-100516-053654
