The application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, cellular agriculture, and big data analytics to food systems has been described as a digital agricultural revolution with the potential to increase food security and reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint. Yet, the scientific evidence informing how these technologies may impact or enhance ecosystem services has not been comprehensively reviewed. In this scoping review, we examine how digital agricultural technologies may enhance agriculture’s support of ecosystem services. Keyword searches in academic databases resulted in 2337 records, of which 74 records met review criteria and were coded. We identify three clusters of digital agricultural technologies including those that make farm management more precise, increase connectivity, and create novel foods. We then examine modelling and empirical evidence gaps in research linking these technologies to ecosystem services. Finally, we overview barriers to implementing digital agricultural technologies for better ecosystem services management in the Canadian context including economic and political systems; lack of policies on data management, governance, and cybersecurity; and limited training and human resources that prevents producers from fully utilizing these technologies.

This paper contributes to the digitalization of rural agriculture literature by proposing a social practice approach. Digitalization (practices) is conceived as an unfolding constellation of everyday farming activities manifested by practically conscious people meaningfully leveraging competences to integrate materials elements of life. Thirty-one expert key informants' interviews were conducted on experiences and pathways for the future of digital agriculture in Africa. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that materials (access to digital tools, enabling digital infrastructure, supporting social infrastructure), competencies (digital literacy among farmers and extension officers, IT and data education among populaces), and meanings (connecting digitization with local customs and norms and aligning digital tools with the values/perceptions of what farming is) are critical elements to establishing and embedding digital tools and services in everyday agriculture in Africa. Thus, I propose adopting a social practice approach (which focus on establishing and integrating materials, competencies, and meanings) to understanding, researching, and guiding processes of rural smallholder digitalization. The proposed approach, the first application of the social practice lens to smallholder digitalization, would allow for interventions that focus on establishing holistic and all-encompassing building blocks that bring digitalization practices to life. Specifically, the social practice proposal provides an outlook to move beyond the technologies –tools and services– of digitalization, to equally value the competencies required and meanings engendered in smallholder digital futures.

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Participation in digital services is critical for the inclusiveness of digitalization in smallholder Africa. However, farmers engagement with digitalization services needs further explorations due to limited empirical research on the topic. This paper thus employs a cross-sectional survey of 1565 farmers in Northern Ghana to assess the factors that affect the likelihood of farmers’ participation in digital agricultural services. We applied a polynomial regression model to show that gender, affiliations to farmer groups, access to extension services, ability to place phone calls, and ownership/access to mobile phones increase the probability of participation in digital services. Thus, farmer characteristics, digital competencies, and access to digital resources are critical in determining who participates in digitalization, essentially positioning these as critical factors to consider in scaling of digital agriculture services. We further argue that access and impacts of digitalization could be exclusive due to existing equities in the identified fundamental elements for participation, adoption, and use of digitalization. Hence, strategies sensitive to the drivers of engagement, including strengthening farmer associations/groups, increasing access to extension services, building digital skills, and scaling access to digital tools (including mobile phones), are required for inclusiveness, scaling and the long-term sustainability of digitalization for smallholders.

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