Schukat Sirkka, Heise Heinke
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Apr 8;11(4):1055. doi: 10.3390/ani11041055.
In recent years, the fourth industrial revolution has found its way into agriculture. Under the term smart farming, various so-called smart products are offered that may positively influence both the daily work of farmers and animal welfare. These smart products can collect data from the farm, extract important information, and in some cases even make decisions independently. Particularly in Germany, where intensive livestock farming is criticized by society, such smart products could make a significant contribution to improving animal welfare. However, an important prerequisite is the acceptance of the users, who are usually the livestock farmers themselves. So far, there is little knowledge about farmers' attitudes towards smart products in livestock production. In this study, a factor analysis and a cluster analysis are conducted to evaluate the attitudes of German livestock farmers towards smart products. Based on the analysis of an online questionnaire in which German livestock farmers (n = 422) participated, four clusters could be derived. The main distinguishing characteristics of the clusters are the influence of the social environment, the expected effort for implementation, the general trust in smart products, and the technology readiness of the farms. As a result, this study provides valuable insights for technology providers of smart products for livestock farming as well as for policy makers.
近年来，第四次工业革命已进入农业领域。在智能农业这一术语下，出现了各种所谓的智能产品，它们可能会对农民的日常工作和动物福利产生积极影响。这些智能产品可以从农场收集数据，提取重要信息，在某些情况下甚至可以独立做出决策。特别是在德国，集约化畜牧业受到社会批评，此类智能产品可能对改善动物福利做出重大贡献。然而，一个重要前提是用户（通常是养殖户本人）的接受程度。到目前为止，关于养殖户对畜牧生产中智能产品的态度了解甚少。在本研究中，进行了因子分析和聚类分析，以评估德国养殖户对智能产品的态度。基于对德国养殖户（n = 422）参与的在线问卷的分析，得出了四个类别。这些类别的主要区别特征是社会环境的影响、实施所需的预期努力、对智能产品的总体信任以及农场的技术准备情况。因此，本研究为畜牧养殖智能产品的技术提供商以及政策制定者提供了有价值的见解。
