How is Digitalization Affecting Agri-food?

Using real cases of food fi rms and agriculture supply chains as a context, How is Digitalization Affecting Agri-food? New Business Models, Strategies and Organizational Forms aims to understand the key themes in strategic and organizational research in this area. Despite the importance of food and agriculture in the current political and societal context, analysis of the impact of digitalization and information technologies on the industry is still limited. The objective of this monograph is to understand the direction of this change. With case studies of food firms and agriculture supply chains it sets out to conceptualize food organizing and organizations as a fruitful object of inquiry, both at the intra and interorganizational levels. It aims to understand new business models, strategies, and organizational forms. Contributions in this stream of research have the potential to yield important and relevant insights for both scholars and societies. This book is written primarily for academics engaged in innovation management or strategy, or conducting organizational behavior research. It will also be of relevance to practitioners and managers in the agri-food industry.

Maria Carmela Annosi is Assistant Professor of Innovation Management and Organizational Behaviour at the School of Social Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands. She is co-founder of DigiMetis center of excellence on the analysis of socio-ecological systems in a digitalized era, inside Wageningen University and Research. Federica Brunetta is currently Assistant Professor of Management and Competitive Strategy at the Department of Business and Management of Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. She is the Vice Director of the Research Centre for Business Transformation (ReBooT) at the LUISS Business School.

PART I Theories and concepts 1 The impact of digitalization: a review on the issue 2 Digital technology in the agri-food sector: a review on the business impact of digitalization in the agri-food sector PART II Challenges and current strategies in digitalization in agri-food 3 The role of managers or owners of SMEs in driving the digitalization process in the agri-food sector 4 The use of digital technologies in agri-food: Evidences from the rural sector PART III The emerging promises of Internet of Things (IOT) and digital ecosystems in agri-food 5 The power of business ecosystems in the agri-food sector: an interview with Sjaak Wolfert 6 Research insights on the governance and dynamics of IOT business ecosystems 7 The social impact of ICT-enabled interventions among rural Indian farmers as seen through eKutir's VeggieLite intervention PART IV The evolution of digitalization in agri-food 8 Artificial intelligence: toward a new economic paradigm in agri-food 9 Agri-food and AI: integrating technology as a core element of the business model: the case of Elaisian 10 Convergence research and innovation digital backbone: behavioral analytics, artifi cial intelligence, and digital technologies as bridges between biological, social, and agri-food systems Conclusion: Where next?