Abstract
This PhD thesis explores the challenges and opportunities of the digital transition in the agri-food sector. This study focuses on three main areas: the adoption of digital technologies by farmers, the business model innovation by digital agriculture startups, and the digitalization of the food value chain. The first part of the study provides a comprehensive view of the farmers’ adoption process of digital technologies, highlighting the individual and organizational factors that influence this process. The study also integrates the sustainable implications of the adoption process, which has been largely absent in previous studies. The second part explores the innovation of business models by startups that develop AgTech solutions. This study identifies and classifies 18 innovation patterns by studying 116 digital agricultural startups. These patterns are systematically classified into the nine blocks of the business model canvas to guide business model innovation and facilitate the applicability of the results. The study highlights the relevance of the agricultural sector as a source of technology-driven business model innovation and emphasizes the need to include startups in digitization issues related to agriculture. Finally, the study investigates the digitalization of the agrifood value chain, analyzing the challenges and opportunities of this transition. This study focuses on the role of digital technologies in enhancing the efficiency, transparency, and sustainability of the agrifood value chain. This study highlights the importance of collaboration and data sharing among actors in the agrifood value chain to maximize the benefits of digitalization. Overall, this thesis provides insights into the digital transition in the agrifood sector and offers practical recommendations for policymakers, farmers, and startups to embrace opportunities and overcome the challenges of digitalization