10. Conclusion
10.1 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research
This study was conducted as an exploratory and descriptive case study of the perceptions of digitisation technology in Brazilian agriculture. It thereby provides a snapshot of what the Brazilian digital agriculture ecosystem was like in the fall of 2019. In order to gain better insights into how the technology frames of the different actors are being influenced, a longitudinal study could be pursued. In previous literature on framing, longitudinal studies have been particularly useful to map the different power relationships that emerge around a specific topic (Reinecke & Ansari, 2016; 2018; Snow et al., 1988; Benford & Snow, 2000), something which could be interesting from an institutional perspective. It would also allow for better insights into the outcomes and consequences of different frames on the social, cultural, economic, and technological capital of different actors (Selwyn, 2004), and thereby the digital divide. In the long-term, there could also potentially be impacts on the social inequalities observed and experienced by actors in Brazilian agriculture.
The chosen areas of theory for this study were framing and the digital divide, with heavy reliance on institutional literature. Further research could pursue the network theory and knowledge management literature (Schniederjans et al., 2020), as well as a stronger focus on supply chain. The influences of relationships on the digital divide has been highlighted by several authors (ex. Ritchie & Brindley, 2005; van Dijk, 2006), and this could potentially reveal interesting insights into how the connections facilitate or impede the closing of the digital divide gap. Another interesting theoretical perspective could be that of innovations, and particularly social innovations. Work with the bottom of the pyramid has been researched in some industries, but inclusion of agricultural actors has yet to receive more attention (Abrahamson, 1991; van Wijk, 2019; George et al., 2012).
Due to the time constraints and the nature of the project, certain methodological limitations must be addressed.
The individual interviews were conducted over phone of skype, which had implications for the fluidity and ease of the conversations. A personal visit to the farm and the technology start-up would also have provided valuable insights into the physical conditions of their operations. Additionally, all interviews were conducted in English, which was everyone’s second language. Although I became familiar with Brazilian Portuguese during the period, the language barrier became evident in some expressions and formulations where the interviewees stumbled and hesitated. Finally, the secondary data collected could have been more extensive, and included recorded online interviews, white papers, and other policy documents. This would have provided better insight into the full discourse of the actors.
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