Title: The Impact of Internet on Agricultural Firms Period: 12/2022 - 12/2024 Role: principal investigator Supervisor: Mauro Caselli (School of International Studies) Hosting institution: School of International Studies, University of Trento Partner institution: ISPAT Financing institution: Caritro Fondazione Financing: 70 000€
One of the main challenges for sustainable agriculture lies in maximizing yields while preserving the environment through a minimal use of resources. Digital transformation can help to address this challenge and it is the main strategy promoted by the European Union in this perspective.
While internet plays a central role in information gathering as well as enabling the adoption of smart farming technologies, and despite the growing interest from researchers and policy makers, the impact of Internet access on farm production and its environmental impact remain unknown.
The aim of this project is to estimate the effect of internet access on agricultural production by combining Italian data from agricultural surveys with internet coverage data. Specifically, this project proposes to examine whether access to the internet increases agricultural productivity, employment, diversification of productive activities and reduces environmental consequences (e.g. use of water, phytosanitary and fertilizing products, pollution, …). This project has led to collaborations with Mauro Caselli (Università di Trento) as well as Lorien Sabatino and Carlo Cambini (Politecnico di Torino). First results have led to the writing of a policy report and of academic working papers.
References
2024
Ultra-fast Broadband Access, Farms’ Productivity and Markups
C. Cambini, M. Caselli, E. Fourrier-Nicolaï, and 1 more author
@misc{AgrInt,title={{Ultra-fast} {Broadband} {Access}, {Farms}' {Productivity} and {Markups}},author={Cambini, C. and Caselli, M. and Fourrier-Nicolaï, E. and Sabatino, L.},year={2024},}
The Effect of Agritourism on Farm Markups, Employment and Environmental Footprint
@misc{AgriTourism,title={{The} {Effect} of {Agritourism} on {Farm} {Markups}, {Employment} and {Environmental} {Footprint}},author={Fourrier-Nicolaï, E.},year={2024},}
The Impact of Ultra-fast Broadband on the Agricultural Sector in the Trentino Province
This policy report examines the potential impact of ultra-fast broadband (UFB) infrastructure on the agricultural sector in the Trentino autonomous province. It highlights the transformative role of digital connectivity in addressing structural challenges, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering sustainability within the sector. Leveraging empirical evidence, the report quantifies the expected benefits from UFB rollout in Trentino. Specifically, it evaluates its impact on farm productivity, markups and on the establishment of new agritourisms, which in turn, enhance profitability, promote employment in rural areas and improve environmental outcomes. Although, the analysis reveals that direct productivity gains from UFB remain negligible, it highlights a potential to increase farm’s markups. In addition, it identifies key opportunities for policy intervention, such as bridging connectivity gaps in rural and mountainous areas, enabling the adoption of digital technologies, and promoting diversification through agritourism and e-commerce. These strategies align with Trentino’s Smart Specialisation Strategy and broader EU objectives for digital transformation and sustainability. The report concludes that UFB infrastructure is a critical enabler for integrating economic growth with environmental protection, positioning Trentino’s agricultural sector as a model for sustainable regional development.
@techreport{AgrInt_policy,title={{The} {Impact} of {Ultra-fast} {Broadband} on the {Agricultural} {Sector} in the {Trentino} {Province}},author={Fourrier-Nicolaï, E.},year={2024},}
