Driving Precision Farming Innovation for Self-Reliance in an Aging Farming Society

Abstract

This research consists purposes were 1. to examine patterns of precision agriculture adoption among elderly farmers 2. to analyze the processes of learning, technology acceptance and adaptation of precision agriculture for self-reliance and 3. to synthesize appropriate approaches for promoting precision agriculture in an aging farming society. The study employed a qualitative research approach, using in-depth interviews as the primary research instrument. The target participants consisted of 20 individuals from four groups, selected through purposive sampling. The data collected from the in-depth interviews were subsequently analyzed using content analysis. The findings reveal that 1) Precision agriculture in the context of older adults does not necessarily manifest as the adoption of advanced technologies. Rather, it represents a management system that appropriately selects and utilizes basic technologies in accordance with the physical, economic and lifestyle constraints of older farmers. Its primary objectives are to reduce costs, improve the efficiency of resource management and alleviate labor burdens 2) The processes of learning and technology adoption occur primarily through hands-on practice, experience sharing, and social networks. Technology acceptance is influenced more by ease of use and tangible outcomes than by the technological sophistication or novelty of the technology itself and 3) The advancement of precision agriculture should therefore emphasize the design of technologies and learning systems that are appropriate for older adults, together with the development of learning communities that support self-reliance and the maintenance of active aging through knowledge and learning. This study proposes that precision agriculture in an aging agricultural society should be reconceptualized as a social innovation, rather than merely as an agricultural technology. It further proposes the concept of contextual precision to explain the selection and application of technologies that are aligned with the lifestyles, capabilities and needs of older adults.