Digital Technology-Enabled Sustainable Development in Agriculture: Applications and Prospects

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-803-5_29How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Digital technology; Sustainable agriculture; Internet of Things; Big data; Artificial intelligence; Blockchain; Satellite remote sensing

Abstract

This paper explores how digital technologies drive tangible transformations in sustainable agriculture, focusing on enhanced resource efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved productivity. Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and satellite remote sensing are not merely influential but are reshaping agricultural practices: IoT sensors and GPS/GIS integration optimize water and fertilizer use, cutting waste by up to 30% while boosting crop yields; AI models analyze plant imagery and environmental data to predict and mitigate crop diseases and pest outbreaks at early stages, minimizing pesticide reliance; and blockchain ensures end-to-end traceability in supply chains, enhancing consumer trust in food safety. However, challenges remain: small-scale farmers in developing countries often face prohibitive costs (e.g., a full IoT sensor suite costing over 20% of annual income for rural households in sub-Saharan Africa), skill gaps (only 15% of farmers in Southeast Asia report basic digital literacy for operating smart devices), and infrastructure limitations (rural broadband coverage below 30% in many low-income regions). Solutions include targeted government subsidies (e.g., China’s 2024 rural digitalization fund allocating $2.3 billion for farm tech adoption), simplified user interfaces for low-literacy users, and satellite-based connectivity for remote areas. The integration of these technologies will accelerate the transition to intelligent, data-driven farming systems, particularly in marginal land management, where precision irrigation and AI-guided crop selection could increase yields by 25% in arid zones by 2030.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Yimeng You
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/07/31
TI  - Digital Technology-Enabled Sustainable Development in Agriculture: Applications and Prospects
BT  - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Internet, Education and Information Technology (IEIT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 294
EP  - 304
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-803-5_29
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-803-5_29
ID  - You2025
ER  -