From Promise to Practice in Digital Sustainability for Agro-Food Systems: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Digital technologies are widely promoted as solutions for sustainable agro-food systems, yet their transition from promise to practice remains uneven and poorly understood. Persistent governance, economic, and managerial barriers continue to constrain the realisation of digital sustainability, and these barriers have not been systematically synthesised. This systematic review synthesises evidence from 16 peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2026, identified through a structured search of the Scopus database. Studies were included if they examined digital innovations, economic instruments, or managerial governance in agricultural or livestock systems and reported outcomes related to sustainability, resource efficiency, or adoption. A narrative synthesis approach was used to integrate findings across three interconnected pillars: economic instruments, technological innovations, and governance factors. The review finds that digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, remote sensing, the Internet of Things, and blockchain can improve productivity, resource efficiency, and predictive accuracy. However, sustainability gains depend on supportive institutional frameworks, financial mechanisms, and governance capacity. Environmental taxes and supply chain finance innovations promote low-carbon transitions, but their effectiveness hinges on digital governance infrastructure and farmer trust. Economies of scale mediate the relationship between smart farming technologies and carbon efficiency, while government regulation positively moderates this pathway. Persistent barriers include data ownership disputes, privacy concerns, weak institutional capacity, and uneven digital infrastructure. Evidence is concentrated in Asia and Europe and relies heavily on simulation-based studies, limiting generalisability. Moving from promise to practice requires integrated governance, economic incentives, and institutional capacity building. Policymakers should prioritise trust-reinforcing data governance, progressive financing schemes, and rural digital infrastructure to enable inclusive and resilient agro-food systems.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. F1000Research, 2026 · DOI ↗