Die Digitalisierung der Milchwirtschaft: Gesellschaftliche Akzeptanz und Nutzungsbereitschaft unter Landwirten
von Greta Langer
Datum der mündl. Prüfung:2023-10-30
Erschienen:2024-02-02
Betreuer:Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller
Gutachter:Prof. Dr. Achim Spiller
Gutachter:Prof. Dr. Holger Schulze
Dateien
Name:Dissertation G. Langer_eDiss.pdf
Size:2.19Mb
Format:PDF
Zusammenfassung
Englisch
The advancing process of digitalization, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has already exerted a multifaceted influence across various domains of life and is characterized as a megatrend of the 21st century. It is expected to pave the way for a comprehensive transformation of the economy and the way we live. The trend towards Agriculture 4.0 is being discussed as a promising approach to make processes more sustainable, more animal welfare-oriented and at the same time more productive. In the face of increasing public concerns about animal husbandry practices, innovative digital technologies are becoming increasingly important in meeting animal welfare and resource conservation requirements. Particularly in dairy production, digitalization plays a pivotal role in enhancing animal health, individual behavioral monitoring, efficient resource utilization, and the optimization of husbandry conditions. Despite these promising potentials, this development is accompanied by a critical discourse, notably concerning socio-ethical considerations. Widespread adoption of these technologies by dairy farmers has yet to occur. The acceptance of use, as well as the attitudinal acceptance of various stakeholders (such as the public), along with an in-depth comprehension of the causes and backgrounds of acceptance-related attitudes, play a central role in the success of the digital transformation of agriculture. Against this backdrop, the present dissertation aims to shed light on the digitalization of dairy production from different perspectives, while elucidating the perceptions and acceptance of farmers and society. For this purpose, the entire value chain of milk production is initially scrutinized, providing a detailed overview of current developments in the dairy market (Part I). This is followed by an extensive literature analysis, leading to the conceptualization of an acceptance model that is tested through a quantitative survey among dairy farmers, thus revealing affective as well as cognitive behavioral determinants (Part II). Furthermore, the dominant barriers to acceptance among dairy farmers are identified. In a further quantitative survey, different patterns of the attitudes of the dairy farmers towards the use of smart farming technologies are characterized. Furthermore, a survey is conducted among citizens in Germany, aiming to discern how society can be grouped or characterized concerning the acceptance of digital technologies in dairy farming, and what arguments and associations exist in favor of or against the implementation of digital technologies (Part III). Finally, in an excursus, a qualitative analysis is used to investigate how sustainability strategies can be implemented in the internationalization process of dairy companies. For this purpose, the value chains of Brazilian and German dairy companies are examined as examples.
Keywords: Smart Dairy Farming; Readiness to use and acceptance; Socio-ethical concerns; Behavioral determinants