Digital Transformation in Agribusiness: Theoretical Perspectives on Technology Adoption and Value Creation

Abstract

Digital transformation is increasingly reshaping agribusiness by changing the way agricultural production, information exchange, supply-chain coordination, marketing and managerial decision-making are conducted. The emergence of digital technologies has created new opportunities for improving agricultural productivity, operational efficiency, market access, traceability, information management and value creation. However, technology adoption within agribusiness is not determined by technological availability alone and is influenced by organizational capabilities, financial resources, infrastructure, knowledge, human skills, perceived usefulness and institutional conditions. This conceptual paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding digital transformation in agribusiness by integrating perspectives on technology adoption, agricultural innovation, digitalization, organizational capabilities and value creation. Drawing on an interdisciplinary review of existing literature, the paper conceptualizes digital transformation as a multidimensional process in which technological adoption interacts with organizational readiness and external institutional conditions to generate economic, operational and strategic value. The framework highlights the importance of digital technologies, organizational capabilities, stakeholder coordination, knowledge development and institutional support in transforming technology adoption into measurable agribusiness outcomes. Illustrative numerical tables are incorporated to demonstrate possible relationships between digital maturity, technology adoption and value creation. The paper contributes to theory development by integrating technology adoption and value creation perspectives within a unified agribusiness framework and provides a foundation for future empirical investigation.