Determinants of the Use and Extent of Digital Agriculture Among Moroccan Farmers

Abstract

Digital agriculture, driven by advancements in financial engineering, holds significant potential to enhance productivity and sustainability in agricultural production. However, the adoption and extent of these technologies fundamentally depend on farmers’ willingness to accept and use them. While recent studies have identified key factors influencing the adoption of digital agriculture, to the best of our knowledge, no academic study has specifically examined the determinants of both the use and the extent of adoption, particularly within the Moroccan context. This study investigates both the adoption and intensity of digital agriculture among a sample of 250 Moroccan farmers, utilizing a paper-based survey and two econometric approaches: A multinomial logit model and the Heckman model. The findings reveal that farmer age has a negative and significant impact on digital agriculture adoption. At the same time, crop type and risk aversion emerge as significant positive determinants of both the adoption and the extent of smart farming use. Specifically, technology adoption is mainly influenced by age, crop type, and risk aversion, whereas the extent of use is primarily driven by risk aversion and the type of crops cultivated. These results highlight the importance of implementing targeted policies and training programs to promote broader and more intensive use of digital agriculture technologies. Additionally, these findings open up avenues for further research aimed at better understanding the underlying factors that shape Moroccan farmers' behavior toward digital agriculture adoption.