Exploring Barriers to Technology Adoption in Livestock Farming: A Descriptive Comparative Analysis Between Finland, Germany, and Albania

Dorjan Marku – Fan S. Noli University, Faculty of Agriculture, Agribusiness Department, Bulevardi Rilindasit 11, 7001, Kor-çc, Albania

Ardita Hoxha-Jahja – Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Rural Industries, Haukisaarentic 2, 74101 lisalmi, Finland

Sara Pfaff – Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Applied Agricultural Research (IAAF),Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nürtingen, Germany

Abstract: Ongoing developments in digital technologies have been the major driving force for improving productivity and sustainability in livestock farming, leading toward higher economic profits, increased safety standards, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. This paper provides insights into the implications related to the implementation of digital technologies in livestock farming. Through a quantitative survey were investigated the challenges of adoption, similarities, and differences among selected farmers in the regions of Northern Savonia (Finland), Baden Wurttemberg (Germany), and Korça (Albania). In Finland and Germany, the survey was conducted online; while in Albania farmers were contacted face-to-face through a structured questionnaire. A total of 166 participants’ observations were documented. The results show a low adoption rate for automated feeding systems, drones for data collection, and GPS for traceability in Finland and Germany. In Albania prevails a low rate of adoption almost in all types of defined technologies. Farmers in three countries indicated uniformly high investment costs and costs of maintenance services as important barriers to not using digital technologies. Differently from their counterparts, farmers in Albania identified the insufficiency of subsidies, lack of strategies to promote digitalization, poor data infrastructure (connectivity), and lack of skills and knowledge to run digital technologies as other significant barriers to adoption. Furthermore, a consistent policy frame- work that addresses the individual needs of farmers in the respective countries, provides adequate incentives and information and involves stakeholders is critical for determining the most efficient ways of digitization in livestock production.

10th International Scientific Conference ERAZ 2024 – Conference Proceedings: KNOWLEDGE BASED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,  hybrid – online, virtually and in person, Lisbon, Portugal, June 6, 2024

ERAZ Conference Proceedings published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans – Belgrade, Serbia

ERAZ conference partners: Faculty of Logistics, University of Maribor, Maribor (Slovenia); University of National and World Economy – UNWE, Sofia (Bulgaria); Center for Political Research and Documentation (KEPET), Research Laboratory of the Department of Political Science of University of Crete (Greece); Institute of Public Finance – Zagreb (Croatia); Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Ohrid, University of St. Kliment Ohridski from Bitola (North Macedonia)

ERAZ Conference 2024 Conference Proceedings: ISBN 978-86-80194-86-8, ISSN 2683-5568,

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ERAZ.2024

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission. 

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