Summary
This qualitative study of 17 farmers in the UK and Australia implementing smart farming technologies reveals that whilst these systems can reduce physical work duration, the benefits are often offset by increased time spent on computer set-up and data management, affecting cognitive and emotional workload. The research identifies important differences in how farm size shapes technology adoption: larger and corporate farms outsource data work to external advisers, whereas smaller-to-medium farms use smart technologies to augment existing staff knowledge and enhance employee engagement. The study provides a novel framework for understanding work-related effects of agricultural technology adoption across different farming contexts.
Regional applicability
This study directly includes UK farms (horticulture, dairy, and mixed systems), making findings directly applicable to UK agricultural practice. The authors found more similarities than differences between UK and Australian contexts, suggesting the work-related challenges and opportunities identified are likely relevant to broader UK farming transitions toward digitisation.
Key measures
Farmers' reported experiences of work changes, time allocation, cognitive and affective workload dimensions, skills and knowledge requirements, employee engagement
Outcomes reported
The study examined how smart farming technologies affected work patterns, skills requirements, and workload dimensions for farmers and their employees across different farm sizes and types. Key findings included tensions between labour time savings and increased data management work, and differential impacts based on farm size and organisational structure.
Topic tags
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