“Anytime, anyplace, anywhere”—A sample selection model of mobile internet adoption in german agriculture

Abstract

Mobile internet is considered one of the most important developments in information and communication technology due to its considerable effect on both the economy and our daily lives. Furthermore, mobile internet is an essential tool for overcoming the rural–urban digital divide. With respect to agriculture, mobile internet can play a central role in information gathering as well as the implementation of precision and smart farming technologies. Yet, no study has identified the determinants of mobile internet adoption in agriculture. Using a bivariate probit model with a sample selection and a representative data set from 815 German farmers, this study showed that, among other characteristics, the age of the farmer, farm size and location, as well as familiarity with internet risks is associated with mobile internet adoption in agriculture. These results may be of interest to policy makers, who deal with internet infrastructure, and providers of farm equipment that rely on mobile internet connection. [EconLit citations: Q16].

A tobit regression model for the timing of smartphone adoption in agriculture

“…Between eastern, western and southern German farmers, there was no difference of statistical significance found ( West , ME = -0.065, p = 0.8 87; East , ME = 0.340, p = 0.627). This corroborates the results of Michels et al. (2020c) , which shows that farms in the north of Germany have higher use of mobile phones because of more widespread internet coverage.…”

“…The core of rural communities and economies in both developing and developed countries is still represented mainly by farmers ( Jeffcoat et al., 2012 ). Smartphones stand to benefit rural regions both by increasing interconnectivity through mobile internet and by bolstering agricultural businesses ( Michels et al., 2020c ). It is highlighted by Landmann et al.…”

The adoption of precision agriculture enabling technologies in Swiss outdoor vegetable production: a Delphi study

“…The possible barriers to PAT adoption are manifold. One obstacle relates to farmer education, which is crucial in providing the skills necessary for technology adoption (Michels et al, 2020;Paustian & Theuvsen, 2016), as the use of PAT often requires specific training. In many countries, this educational provision is still in the early stages of development (e.g., Eastwood et al, 2019;Eastwood et al, 2012).…”

Classification of agricultural risks of the digital economy

“…They also note its leading role in the introduction of precision and smart agriculture. Also, they mention internet risks connected with the mobile Internet introduction in agriculture [10].…”