Community Matters More Than Code in Digital Agriculture

Abstract

This study examines how social capital configurations, ecological rationality, and technology considerations shape the adoption of agricultural digitalization among 112 farmers in East and West Java, Indonesia. We use fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify five equifinal pathways to successful adoption. While technology enablement is present in all configurations, it remains insufficient on its own. It requires complementary social capital to translate potential into practice. Specifically, cognitive social capital, reflected in shared understanding, emerges as the most consistent core condition across pathways. Ecological rationality plays a secondary role, with adoption occurring primarily through social validation rather than through explicit environmental reasoning. The stability of configurations across specifications confirms genuine equifinality. These findings challenge technology-centered models. It demonstrates that effective agricultural digitalization depends on aligning initiatives with existing configurations of social capital. Our study offers practical guidance for designing context-sensitive digital agriculture strategies throughout the Global South.