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Smart Agricultural Technology

Date:Available online 27 October 2026

Article:102677

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Understanding Barriers to the Adoption of Smart Technologies in Agriculture: A Systematic Literature Review

Author links open overlay panel Anastasia A.Yanchenko 1, Zoi M.Tserioni 1, Penny Zafiraki 1, Marilena Gemtou 1, Anastasios Karakostas 2, Dimitra Perperidou 2, Evangelos Anastasiou 3, Spyros Fountas 1 4

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10.1016/j.atech.2026.102677

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Highlights

• •Social and economic factors are major barriers to smart farming technologies.
• •Limited digital skills and lack of trust discourage farmers from using new tools.
• •High costs and uncertain financial returns restrict technology adoption.
• •Effective adoption requires coordinated financial, technical and policy support.

Abstract

The transition toward sustainable and climate-smart agriculture increasingly depends on the adoption of smart technologies. However, despite the growing availability of innovative agricultural solutions, adoption rates among European farmers remain uneven and often limited by multiple interconnected barriers. This study presents a systematic literature review examining the main barriers affecting the adoption of smart technologies within the European agricultural context. A total of 109 scientific publications retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science were analysed to identify and classify the most significant technological, social, economic, and policy-related barriers reported in the literature. The results indicate that technological (40,8%) and socioeconomic (33,8%) barriers constitute the most dominant dimensions influencing adoption. Key challenges identified include limited digital literacy, lack of trust in technologies, resistance to change, technological complexity, interoperability limitations, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient technical support. Economic barriers, particularly high investment costs, uncertain return on investment, and limited access to financial support, also significantly affect adoption decisions. Policy and institutional related barriers (14,1%) highlight the importance of regulatory frameworks, institutional support, and governance conditions in shaping the broader adoption environment. Market conditions (7%) and farm characteristics (4,2%) further influence the feasibility and attractiveness of technology adoption. The findings demonstrate that technology adoption in European Agriculture should be understood as a multidimensional socio-technical process influenced by behavioural, institutional, economic, and technological factors.

Keywords

Smart technologies

;

Digital agriculture

;

Technology adoption

;

Adoption barriers

;

Green technologies

;

Sustainable agriculture

;

Climate-smart agriculture

;

Precision agriculture

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