Digital Technology Adoption and Productive Use among Smallholder Farmers in Indonesia: A Narrative Literature Review
Main
Helda Syahfari*
Syamad Ramayana
Ownership of digital devices is not always followed by the use of technology for productive activities by smallholder farmers. This narrative literature review aims to synthesize the factors of technology acceptance, digital literacy, facilitating conditions, and mentoring related to the use of digital technology in farm management, and to formulate a conceptual framework for further research. The literature was searched through web search engines, scientific journal portals, and reference list searches; journal articles relevant to agricultural technology adoption, smallholder farmers, digital literacy, and digital extension were selected based on substantive relevance and bibliographic traceability. The thematic synthesis shows that device access is a prerequisite but is not sufficient to explain productive use. Perceived usefulness and ease of use, digital skills, connectivity, social support, and mentoring also shape the adoption process. Evidence from Indonesia shows that smartphone ownership can coexist with use that remains limited to communication, while use for farm recordkeeping is not yet routine. This review integrates UTAUT/TAM perspectives with digital literacy and mentoring to explain the transition from access to productive use. The proposed framework is conceptual and has not been tested empirically.
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