The Role of Perception in the Adoption of Digital Platforms in Agriculture

In these times of global disruptions, digital product distribution platforms are playing a major role in driving the global economy. In the development of such platforms, the scope, architecture, realization technology as well as the channels used are important. However, a well-accepted/designed platform does not guarantee profitable results in a digital business model. There are various soft factors that can significantly affect the reach of a platform. Due to its role in food distribution, the specific lifecycle of products and seasonality, agriculture is an industry where timely reach is crucial. In this paper, we investigate the factors influencing users' perceptions toward platforms in agriculture. We consider both the perspective of the customers/buyers, and the perspective of the producers/sellers. We also examine the perception factors that can influence one's intention to join and adopt digital platforms. The identification of relevant perception factors is based on a literature review and empirical data from publicly available sources. Our goal in future research is to confirm or revise factors that impact perception, and to assess the impact of perception on the design and functionality of digital platforms, as well as its impact on the development of digital business models.