Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions
IntroductionThe global food system faces numerous challenges, including population growth, pandemics, climate change, natural disasters, and economic instability. These challenges have a profound impact on agriculture, with climate change leading to unpredictable weather and more frequent extreme ev...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1462438/full |
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| author | Nawab Khan Xuanguo Xu Muhammad Khayyam Abdul Raziq |
| author_facet | Nawab Khan Xuanguo Xu Muhammad Khayyam Abdul Raziq |
| author_sort | Nawab Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe global food system faces numerous challenges, including population growth, pandemics, climate change, natural disasters, and economic instability. These challenges have a profound impact on agriculture, with climate change leading to unpredictable weather and more frequent extreme events that threaten crop yields and farming sustainability. Farmers are also grappling with rising input costs and market volatility, intensifying the need for improved productivity and efficiency.PurposeConsidering these challenges, digital technology, particularly mobile internet (MI), is emerging as a key tool for achieving sustainable agriculture by enhancing productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. While much research has focused on the effects of MI on agricultural inputs, prices, and operational efficiency, there is limited understanding of its direct impact on food production outcomes. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the influence of MI usage on crop production.MethodThe study utilizes data from 660 farmers across two provinces of Pakistan. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and linear regression models are employed to assess the impact of MI usage on food production.ResultsThe analysis reveals a significant positive effect of MI usage on crop production, with MI users experiencing a 13.30% increase in crop yield compared to non-users. The heterogeneity analysis shows varying impacts among different farmer groups: young farmers see a 13.50% increase, less-educated farmers a 15.27% rise, larger-scale farmers a 23.80% boost, and those in economically developed villages a 10.50% improvement per hectare compared to non-users.ConclusionThe study highlights the potential of MI in boosting crop production, particularly for specific farmer demographics. Policymakers should prioritize the development of MI infrastructure in rural areas and collaborate with research institutions, agricultural cooperatives, and enterprises to design interventions, such as financial support and technical assistance, that can help farmers fully leverage the benefits of digital technology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd370fc886b8497faa59d0fb414edd68 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd370fc886b8497faa59d0fb414edd682025-08-20T02:12:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2024-11-011110.3389/fnut.2024.14624381462438Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regionsNawab Khan0Xuanguo Xu1Muhammad Khayyam2Abdul Raziq3College of Economics and Management, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, ChinaCollege of Public Administration, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, ChinaDirectorate of Vegetable and Seed Production Agriculture Research Institute, Village Aid Sariab, Quetta, PakistanIntroductionThe global food system faces numerous challenges, including population growth, pandemics, climate change, natural disasters, and economic instability. These challenges have a profound impact on agriculture, with climate change leading to unpredictable weather and more frequent extreme events that threaten crop yields and farming sustainability. Farmers are also grappling with rising input costs and market volatility, intensifying the need for improved productivity and efficiency.PurposeConsidering these challenges, digital technology, particularly mobile internet (MI), is emerging as a key tool for achieving sustainable agriculture by enhancing productivity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. While much research has focused on the effects of MI on agricultural inputs, prices, and operational efficiency, there is limited understanding of its direct impact on food production outcomes. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the influence of MI usage on crop production.MethodThe study utilizes data from 660 farmers across two provinces of Pakistan. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and linear regression models are employed to assess the impact of MI usage on food production.ResultsThe analysis reveals a significant positive effect of MI usage on crop production, with MI users experiencing a 13.30% increase in crop yield compared to non-users. The heterogeneity analysis shows varying impacts among different farmer groups: young farmers see a 13.50% increase, less-educated farmers a 15.27% rise, larger-scale farmers a 23.80% boost, and those in economically developed villages a 10.50% improvement per hectare compared to non-users.ConclusionThe study highlights the potential of MI in boosting crop production, particularly for specific farmer demographics. Policymakers should prioritize the development of MI infrastructure in rural areas and collaborate with research institutions, agricultural cooperatives, and enterprises to design interventions, such as financial support and technical assistance, that can help farmers fully leverage the benefits of digital technology.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1462438/fullfood systemssustainabilitycrisestechnologyPSMclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Nawab Khan Xuanguo Xu Muhammad Khayyam Abdul Raziq Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions Frontiers in Nutrition food systems sustainability crises technology PSM climate change |
| title | Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| title_full | Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| title_fullStr | Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| title_short | Toward making the field talk: assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| title_sort | toward making the field talk assessing the relationship between digital technology and sustainable food production in agricultural regions |
| topic | food systems sustainability crises technology PSM climate change |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1462438/full |
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