"The state of digitalisation in EU agriculture - Insights from farm surveys" report has been published, alongside a dashboard accessible on the DataM portal.
This dashboard provides insights into the current state of digitalisation in EU agriculture, covering the adoption of general IT and software tools and farm-specific technologies, key drivers and barriers, perceived sustainability aspects, and farm-level practices in data collection, management and sharing.
Access the dashboard
here.
The sections of the dashboard are based on farm survey data from 1444 respondents in nine EU Member States – Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary and Poland – collected between June and October 2024. The data covers different aspects of the farmers, including:
- structural characteristics of the farm
- farmers’ online activities
- adoption of digital technologies
- drivers of and barriers to adoption of digital technologies
- expected net benefits of digital technologies for sustainability
- aspects related to data collection, data ownership and data-sharing practices
Report
Title: The state of digitalisation in EU agriculture - Insights from farm surveys
URL: https://doi.org/10.2760/4688498
Year: 2025
Authors: Antonioli, F; Ciaian, P; Fellmann, T; Tur Cardona, J; Rocciola, F; Ierardi, I; Crimeni, R; Anastasiou, E
Journal: Publications Office of the European Union
Abstract: The digitalisation of the EU agricultural sector is an essential part of the broader EU Digital Agenda and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aiming to promote competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience in agriculture through digital transformation. This report analyses the current state of digitalisation in EU agriculture, covering the adoption of general IT and software tools and farm-specific technologies, key drivers and barriers, perceived sustainability aspects, and farm-level practices in data collection, management and sharing. The analysis is based on farm survey data from 1 444 respondents in nine EU Member States – Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary and Poland – collected between June and October 2024. The results show that while general IT and software tools are widely used, more expensive technologies specific to crop or livestock production have been less widely adopted. Adoption rates are higher among larger farms, those with better internet connectivity and those with specialised training. Key drivers of adoption include efficiency gains, cost savings, regulatory pressures and improved quality of life, while high costs and limited skills remain notable barriers. Farmers expect digital technologies to have positive economic, environmental and social impacts. Farm-level data collection is still largely manual or based on basic digital tools, which increases the administrative burden on farmers. Farmers appear to take a selective approach to data sharing, mainly due to concerns about privacy, security and data control. Promoting transparent data policies, ensuring farmers benefit from sharing and adopting a targeted policy approach for advanced technologies can help build trust and support wider digital adoption.
Find it also in: the DataM publications navigator
