Digital Agriculture in Iran: Use Cases, Opportunities, and Challenges

HE PURPOSE of this paper is to report the results of a dynamic regional model of agricultural production response, developed and applied to traditional agriculture, which (1) is based on the already tested notions of economic rationality and price responsiveness in traditional agriculture; (2) incorporates several categories of response forces already studied in the case of developed agriculture; and (3) includes in an essential way the features of subsistence production and household-firm interdependence that are central to the study of production response in traditional agriculture. Specifically, recursive linear programming and activity analysis are used to analyze and simulate the production, consumption, and investment decisions of subsistence farmers in a given region. The result is an improved understanding of the process of agriculture in transition and an operationally tested method for projecting future development. There is growing evidence of the recent transformation of the agricultural sectors of such diverse economies as Israel, Nigeria, West Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Tanganyika, and Thailand [18]. These vast agricultural transformations offer an excellent opportunity to enhance our understanding of the process of development. The purpose of this study was to investigate some of the factors and conditions responsible for one of these transformations, not in its generality, but in great detail. While agricultural development remains at the center of development theory and policy, only recently has attention been given to the empirical investigation of its role in the LDC's. Though some investigations stress the importance of agricultural exports as a point of departure in the LDC's, the more fundamental problems are those associated with agricultural production response, since agricultural exports, whatever their role, cannot increase without an increase in agricultural production. A large part of the empirical work done so far on production response in the LDC's touches on a very important aspect: whether peasants in traditional or near-traditional agriculture respond to market opportunities. These studies have shown that agricultural production of specific commodities in specific LDC's is price responsive, especially when account is taken of adjustment lags due to uncertainty and the quasi-fixity of capital stocks. They show that the form and direction of this response is consistent with price theory, so that we can expect market incentives to play an important role in the transformation of traditional agriculture. These empirical findings clearly refute those who believe that cultural and institutional re-

Agricultural structures encompass buildings and facilities such as greenhouses, barns, and storage units that are designed to ensure efficient plant and animal production while increasing the controllability of production processes. The inability to regulate environmental conditions in these structures (such as temperature fluctuations) can lead to deteriorating animal health, yield reductions in greenhouses, and increased postharvest losses in storage units. The growing global population, limited availability of natural resources, and the effects of climate change necessitate the adoption of digital solutions in agricultural production. The integration of digital technologies into agricultural structures plays a critical role in enhancing production efficiency, optimizing energy use, improving animal welfare, and ensuring food security. However, this transformation faces significant barriers, including inadequate rural infrastructure, high installation costs, low levels of digital literacy, and limited social acceptance. The widespread implementation of digital agriculture requires not only the development of technological infrastructure but also the education of farmers, the formulation of supportive strategies by policymakers, and strong intersectoral collaboration. Consequently, the digital transformation of agricultural structures stands out as a strategic opportunity in terms of climate change adaptation, sustainable production, and the assurance of global food security. Existing studies on digital transformation in agricultural structures have primarily focused on singular applications, and comprehensive research that holistically addresses technological, socio-economic, environmental, and managerial dimensions has not been conducted. This study was undertaken to systematically examine the digital transformation process within a multidimensional framework, to identify the associated challenges and opportunities, and thereby to provide both sciences in terms of sustainable agricultural production, climate change adaptation, and global food security. Within the scope of this review, the digital transformation process in agricultural structures was examined in detail through a literature survey of international scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. Current practices, technical and socio-economic challenges encountered, and future expectations were comprehensively evaluated. Through this analysis, the study demonstrates how digital agricultural technologies were shaped within the framework of Agriculture 4.0, and discussed both their potential within agricultural structures and their impacts on agricultural production processes

With the wide application of networking, informatization, and digitization technologies in agriculture, as well as the improvement of farmers’ modern information skills, the digital economy has become an important engine driving high-quality development and digital transformation in agriculture. Digital agriculture is an essential component of the national strategy for “Digital China” and an effective measure to achieve the deep integration of informatization and agricultural modernization. Driven by digital technologies, digital agriculture in rural areas shows tremendous development potential, huge market demand, and broad application prospects. The era of digital-driven agriculture and rural areas “leapfrogging” is approaching. However, the digital economy empowering high-quality development in agriculture also faces various constraints, such as lagging infrastructure construction, slow development of digital agriculture, insufficient endogenous driving forces, and difficulties in practical applications. To address these issues, the government should increase investment, clarify directions, promote industry academia research collaboration, and strengthen core technologies. These measures will enable the digital economy to better empower the high-quality development of Chinese agriculture.

This study aims to map the development of agricultural technology innovation research in supporting food security using a bibliometric approach. The analysis was conducted on a dataset of scientific publications indexed in selected academic databases during the period 2015–2025, serving as the unit of analysis to identify conceptual structures, thematic clusters, research evolution, and emerging research gaps. The keyword visualisation results show the dominance of the themes of precision agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart farming, and digital agriculture as the main drivers of the transformation of modern agricultural systems. The cluster map shows a close relationship between technological innovation, sustainability, and food security, while the density–centrality analysis places precision agriculture and digital agriculture as motor themes with high centrality and density. Thematic evolution shows a shift from the conservation and sustainability paradigm towards data-based and artificial intelligence-based agricultural systems integrated with digital governance and the circular economy. Although technology is the dominant focus, aspects of farmer adoption, governance, digital inclusion, and policy integration remain strategic research gaps. These findings confirm that the transformation of agriculture towards a resilient food system requires multidisciplinary integration between technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and institutional and public policy support.

The paper examines the impact of modern agricultural practices on environmental sustainability, focusing on the ethical-legal dilemmas of digital agriculture and its role in the agroecological transition. Specifically, the study aims to explore the dual impact of agriculture on climate change, both as a mitigator through practices that enhance carbon sequestration and as a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It also aims to evaluate the balance between the potential of digital agriculture to support agroecology and the need to safeguard human rights, particularly the right to food. The study employs a predominantly qualitative approach to achieve these objectives, integrating legal-doctrinal analysis, document analysis, and a review of policy frameworks and academic literature. Quantitative data is incorporated selectively to contextualise the environmental footprint of farming systems. The research highlights the urgent need to address the environmental challenges posed by intensive agriculture, which significantly contributes to soil degradation, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Furthermore, it underscores the potential of digital agriculture to drive agroecological transitions by optimising resource use and improving productivity. However, it also raises ethical concerns regarding data ownership, technological dependency, and the exclusion of small-scale farmers under the dominant corporate-driven model. The paper advocates for an alternative: local and solidarity-based digital agriculture, a model that aligns digital innovation with agroecological practices and human rights principles, empowering small-scale farmers and enhancing food sovereignty. The research concludes that a balanced integration of technology and agroecological practices rooted in human rights is crucial to advancing a sustainable and equitable food system. However, further empirical research is necessary to evaluate the implementation of such local and solidarity-based digital agriculture models across diverse contexts.

To achieve common prosperity in China, digital agricultural transformation is increasingly important in narrowing the income gap and promoting rural revitalization. Based on a quasi-natural experiment involving digital agriculture pilot projects in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, this paper systematically evaluates the impact of digital agriculture policies on common prosperity using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2012 to 2022, employing a difference-in-difference (DID) approach. The study finds that digital agriculture policies significantly reduce residents’ subjective perceptions of income inequality, with a particularly significant effect in the central and western regions and among households engaged in agriculture. Mechanism analysis suggests that the policies form a positive chain of pathways that mitigate income inequality by improving the modernization of agricultural production tools, optimizing resource allocation efficiency, and increasing farmers’ income. Heterogeneity analysis reveals significant heterogeneity in policy effects across regions and population groups. The marginal utility of the policies is higher in the central and western regions due to their weak agricultural foundations, while the incremental effect is relatively limited in the eastern region due to its advanced agricultural modernization. This study provides empirical evidence for digital agriculture’s contribution to common prosperity and offers a reference for policymakers to optimize digital agriculture promotion strategies and promote balanced regional development.

Addressing climate change necessitates creating new, or building the capacity of old, institutions. Institutions are vital tools that determine the intensity by which climate change considerations are incorporated into the decision-making process, designs, and plans. This article aims to illustrate that it is necessary to understand the institutional environment where the CCA endeavors will be implemented such that local climate change adaptation (CCA) policies, plans, and programs can be implemented effectively. The paper also intends to demonstrate that, along with the scientific and technological discussions, institutional conversations should be among the initial vital steps in CCA planning, and that the institutional dimension should be the foundation of broader reforms toward an effective CCA implementation. The paper accomplished this by investigating the conditions in the local agriculture and CCA in the Philippines. The paper applied the Institutional Environment Matrix as the main analytical framework. The analysis showed that the existing institutional dynamics in the Philippines have impacted the effectiveness of the introduced CCA policies and efforts. The Local Government Code of the Philippines had counterproductive interplays with other institutional rules; first in agriculture, and afterwards, in CCA. The Code has devolved tasks to the local governments, provided local government units with extensive authority over their jurisdictions, and improved autonomy in local governance. However, it lacks the arrangements that would create (dis)incentives for individual and collective actions (i.e., rewards and penalties, payoffs on actions). Likewise, institutional mechanisms to support the devolution of government services are wanting. Such institutional environment in local governance has curtailed the effectiveness of local agricultural policies and the efficient implementation of new CCA policies. This article advocates that analyzing the institutional environment where the CCA endeavors will be implemented will enable policy makers and CCA planners to understand better and to have deeper perception of the interlinkages between and among institutional arrangements. In the case of the Philippines, if the local agricultural institutional environment was considered in the design and implementation of the CCA policies, institutional support mechanisms that can address the existing issues and concerns in local agriculture may have been incorporated into these policies. Such action may have helped implementers to avoid the same difficulties in operationalizing CCA initiatives. Accordingly, the paper analyzed how CCA is operationalized through an institutional lens, and presented how institutional analysis is important in policy making. It further demonstrated the complexity of institutional linkages and raised the conversation on the institutional dimension of CCA.

Background and AimsThe effective response of emergency medical services in mass casualty incidents (MCIs) calls for sufficient preparation. The components of preparation must be determined first to achieve this goal. This study aimed to describe the elements of preparedness of emergency medical services for MCIs.MethodsA qualitative study was carried out on emergency medical service systems in Iran (from April 2022 to mid‐March 2023), using in‐depth semistructured interviews with participants who were managers and members of the incident command team, experts, technicians, paramedics, and telecommunicators of emergency medical services. Interviews were carried out face‐to‐face and via telephone. The data were collected using voice recorder and transcript and analyzed by content analysis method. This study was conducted using the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research.ResultsThirty‐six participants were included in the study. A total of 834 codes were analyzed. Thirteen components were extracted from the study and classified as five categories including “Strengthening management and organization,” “individual and group empowerment,” “capacity expansion,” “technology and infrastructure development,” and “operational response measures.”ConclusionEmergency medical service preparedness in response to MCIs is a critical issue. For improving preparedness, the main components must be identified. The study results described the elements of emergency medical service preparedness, which could be used as a framework for developing the national model of emergency medical service preparedness in MCIs.

Digital technologies have been deeply integrated into our lives and found their application in all areas of human activity, including agriculture. Technological progress, the development of infrastructure in the IT industry, wider access to the Internet, a high level of education and growing computer literacy of the population contribute to the popularization and introduction of digital technologies in agricultural production. The review of the use of digital technologies in the agricultural sector has shown that existing software tools help plan the work of an agricultural organization, monitor the state of production, manage the farm, and sell products on virtual trading platforms. Most software products are able to store data in the cloud, and farmers can access the system via their personal account from any device with Internet access. There are also a number of programs on the market that allow farmers to plan, analyze and control the crop or livestock production. Leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery and equipment are actively integrating digital technologies into their products. It is now possible to manage a fl eet of vehicles used in the fi elds, and implement unmanned control. Use can be made of tractors equipped with automatic systems for driving along rows or laid paths, turning, and monitoring process parameters. The authors propose a set of digital control means to be used in agricultural production, based on the application of technologies of the Internet of things, cloud data storage, big data processing, and artifi cial intelligence. It is the technologies that digital agriculture will be based on, which use robotic monitoring tools to collect information and transmit it to “cloud data storage”. It is processed there and directed to the control system, which develops the optimal solution and transmits the control signal to the robotic actuators. In this regard, the development of agricultural machinery should be focused on the robotic tools designed for monitoring and performing technological operations. The most diffi cult task is to develop a control system, since it must have elements of artifi cial intelligence and replace humans in agricultural production.

Digital agriculture is rapidly reshaping the interface between agriculture, technology, and the modern nation-state, redefining both food systems and governance structures. This paper examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI), data-driven platforms, and digital infrastructures are transforming agricultural practices, enhancing state capacity, and influencing political power dynamics. Historically, agriculture has played a central role in state formation, from imperial agrarian control and colonial revenue systems to post-independence nation-state governance. In the contemporary digital era, AI-enabled tools such as precision farming, remote sensing, predictive analytics, and algorithmic decision-making have become critical instruments for managing agricultural production, mitigating climate risks, and strengthening food security. The study argues that digital agriculture increases the governing capacity of the nation-state by enabling centralized, data-informed policymaking. AI-driven governance allows states to monitor land, crops, and farmers in real time, anticipate food shortages, optimize resource allocation, and respond more efficiently to environmental variability. By integrating technology with policy, governments can exercise greater control over agricultural systems, reflecting both continuity with historical agrarian governance and the introduction of new mechanisms for oversight and efficiency. At the same time, the paper highlights emerging political and ethical challenges, including data ownership, digital inequality, algorithmic bias, and the concentration of digital resources in the hands of state or corporate actors, revealing tensions between efficiency, equity, and democratic governance. Using a political economy and historical lens, the study situates AI-led agricultural transformation within the broader transition from empire to nation-state, demonstrating both continuity and change in power structures. It emphasizes that digital agriculture is not merely a set of technological tools for productivity but a strategic instrument that reshapes state authority, resource management, and social relations in the twenty-first century.

This chapter, “Precision Agriculture: Leveraging AI and Drones for Eco-Friendly Farming,” explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology on sustainable agriculture. It delves into how precision agriculture uses these advanced tools to enhance crop production and reduce environmental impacts. AI-driven algorithms and drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors enable precise monitoring and management of crops, providing real-time insights into soil health, crop conditions, and pest infestations. This allows farmers to optimize resource usage and make informed irrigation, fertilization, and pest control decisions. The chapter also discusses these technologies' economic and ecological benefits, such as increased crop yields, reduced input costs, and lower environmental footprints, while addressing challenges like high initial costs and data privacy concerns. Through case studies and real-world applications, the chapter illustrates the practical benefits and future potential of AI and drones in promoting sustainable farming practices.

Digital farming is a modern agricultural concept that aims to maximize the crop yield while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impact of farming. Successful implementation of digital farming requires development of sensors to detect and identify diseases and abiotic stresses in plants, as well as to probe the nutrient content of seeds and identify plant varieties. Experimental evidence of the suitability of Raman spectroscopy (RS) for confirmatory diagnostics of plant diseases was previously provided by our team and other research groups. In this study, we investigate the potential use of RS as a label-free, non-invasive and non-destructive analytical technique for the fast and accurate identification of nutrient components in the grains from 15 different rice genotypes. We demonstrate that spectroscopic analysis of intact rice seeds provides the accurate rice variety identification in ~86% of samples. These results suggest that RS can be used for fully automated, fast and accurate identification of seeds nutrient components.

The relevance of the study is determined by the importance of introducing digital technologies in crop production industry to improve the efficiency of agro-industrial complex. The goal is to show the directions, advantages of digitalization in domestic crop production, problems and suggest ways of solution. The following methods were used in the article - analysis, systematization, generalization and selection of facts, establishing links between them. Results - the starting conditions, priorities and reasons that hinder and complicate digital transformation are considered: limited access of agricultural producers to technical innovations and modern agricultural machinery; a long network of intermediaries, wholesalers and retailers; low level of development of communications and IT infrastructure; lack of localized IT solutions for agricultural sector; shortage of qualified personnel. In the current situation, the authors consider it necessary and timely to increase the level of mechanization (energy saturation) and automation up to the average world class, effective public support; widespread use of digital platforms; improvement of the personnel motivation system; organization of government -funded training centers for farmers. The practice of applying technological operations of precise and digital agriculture in cultivation of crops based on the materials of the Akmola region has been studied. Conclusions - entrepreneurs strive to produce more food with fewer resources, therefore a significant breakthrough is needed in creating digital models of the entire agricultural production cycle and interconnected links in value chain. Digital technologies will increase competitiveness and labor productivity, ensure food security and attract investment; this is a high-tech and promising area for all economic entities, regardless of the scale of agribusiness.

Chapter 11 - Where do we stand with digitalization? An assessment of digital transformation in Hungarian agriculture

The rapid expansion of the low-altitude economy has created new opportunities for digital transformation in agriculture; however, empirical evidence on its role in advancing smart agriculture remains limited. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (2013–2023), this study constructs multidimensional indices to examine how the low-altitude economy shapes smart agriculture development. It contributes to the literature by systematically introducing the low-altitude economy into the analytical framework of digital agriculture and empirically uncovering its transmission mechanisms, spatial spillovers, and regional heterogeneity. The results indicate that: (1) the development of the low-altitude economy significantly promotes smart agriculture, primarily through improvements in transportation efficiency and the agricultural ecological environment; (2) heterogeneity analysis reveals that this promotional effect is more pronounced in regions with stronger agricultural foundations and higher levels of factor agglomeration; and (3) spatial effect analysis shows that while the low-altitude economy significantly enhances local smart agriculture development, it exerts a certain inhibitory effect on neighboring regions, reflecting differentiated spatial transmission patterns under interregional factor competition.