This study aims to raise awareness of digitalization and automation solutions as enablers of precision agriculture for large- and medium-scale producers as a contribution to The State of Food and Agriculture 2022 – Leveraging automation in agriculture for transforming agrifood systems. Digital and automation solutions have the potential to increase productivity and efficiency and to improve environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Nevertheless, barriers to adopting such solutions can prevent agricultural producers from realizing their benefits. Common barriers include the cost of investing in the solutions, limited digital literacy, limited information about the benefits of adoption, a lack of an enabling environment and infrastructure, among others.

The report builds on findings from 22 case studies around the world to analyse the most important barriers and drivers to adopting digital and automation solutions – including those related to the institutional, policy and regulatory environments of a given country. Solution providers as well as farmers’ associations that support agricultural producers were interviewed for the report. Each case study focuses on one or more agricultural production system; these range from crops, to livestock, aquaculture and agroforestry.