Designing policies to promote the adoption of digital phytosanitation towards sustainability: The case of the olive sector in Andalusia

Abstract

CONTEXT Digital phytosanitation is at the forefront of the Agriculture 4.0 revolution, using digital technologies and data-driven approaches for effective pest and disease management. However, these advances face technical, economic and implementation challenges such as cost, infrastructure requirements and lack of immediate economic returns. In the olive sector, digital technologies are essential for threat monitoring and pest management, contributing to quality and sustainability, but their adoption is slow, especially in traditional agricultural regions such as the Mediterranean. OBJECTIVE This article examines the adoption of digital phytosanitary systems (DPS) in the Andalusian olive sector, the world's leading olive producing region, focusing on the use of the Adoption and Diffusion Outcome Prediction Tool (ADOPT) to predict adoption rates and identify sensitive factors affecting the diffusion process. The manuscript adapts the ADOPT model to predict DPS adoption in the Andalusian olive sector and proposes policy recommendations to facilitate the digital transformation towards sustainable agriculture. METHODS The ADOPT model is tailored to predict the adoption and diffusion of DPS in the Andalusian olive sector. It assesses the peak level of adoption and the time to peak based on factors such as the relative advantage and learnability of DPS, as well as the learning capacity of the population. The assessment of the model was based on the knowledge of experts/stakeholders from different sectors, including R&D&I organisations, public administration and olive farms/cooperatives. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The results predict a slow and moderate diffusion of DPS, with ‘technology promoters’ such as R&D&I organisations and public administration being more optimistic than ‘technology implementers’ such as olive farms/cooperatives. The study proposes targeted policies to promote DPS adoption, addressing environmental benefits, scalability, profitability, ease of integration, risk mitigation, skills improvement, pilot projects, technology simplification, professional advice and financing options. These strategies aim to accelerate the adoption of DPS, thereby promoting higher productivity, competitiveness and environmental sustainability in the olive sector. SIGNIFICANCE Recent events in EU pesticide regulation highlight the critical importance of stakeholder engagement and the need to balance technological progress with regulatory frameworks, emphasising that the success of DPS adoption is not only a matter of technological capability, but also of alignment with regulatory decisions and the broader goal of sustainable agriculture. In this context, this research contributes to understanding the dynamics of digital transformation in agriculture and informs policy-making for sustainable agricultural practices. Digital phytosanitation, if properly implemented, can be a step towards global agricultural sustainability.