Digital and smart technologies to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: An analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions of opportunities and challenges for broader adoption

Abstract

Digital and smart technologies (DSTs¹) for agriculture are currently widely discussed in the literature and increasingly included in common farming practices. However, the main agricultural use of DSTs remains yield-increasing and effort-reducing applications focused on the economic advantages of precision. The potential of DSTs to enhance biodiversity in agricultural landscapes has rarely been examined, especially from the stakeholder perspective. In this study, we examined the barriers to and potential for using DSTs to promote biodiversity in agricultural areas in Germany. For this purpose, we conducted a nationwide stakeholder acceptance analysis based on an online survey and an expert discussion. Our analysis revealed the notable potential of DSTs to strengthen biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, which is, however, accompanied by critical barriers to the broad acceptance and regular use of such technologies by farmers. Only if based on adequate legal and financial political framework, which create incentives for solution-focused cooperation among all relevant stakeholders and allow a user-orientated technology development, can DSTs develop their underlying potential and gain acceptance among farmers.