Factors Affecting the Sustainable Use of ICTs for Agriculture at the Farm: The Case of Image Line Network Community

none5The application of ICTs is still quite low among the Italian farms; it differs according to the different regions, farms typologies and type of applications. Different studies analyzed the factors influencing the adoption of ICTs in agriculture. Less considered are the factors influencing the attitude towards the ICTs once they have been adopted (postimplementation stages of a technology adoption). The goal of this paper is to analyze the factors influencing a sustainable adoption of ICTs at the farm, also identifying possible intervention strategies for policy makers, farmers’ organizations, extension services and ICTs providers. A Technology Adoption Model (TAM) was applied. A web survey was carried out based on the TAM theoretical approach and the data analyzed using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) applied to a sample of 766 farmers already using ICTs. The results showed that the Perceived Ease of Use of the ICTs is positively influencing the Behavioral Intention to Use ICTs at the farm; in turn the SEM showed that the Perceived Ease Of Use is influenced by the Farm Turnover and the farmers’ Level Of EducationmixedC. Rota; P.A. Nasuelli; Cesare Spadoni; Ivano Valmori; C. ZanasiC. Rota; P.A. Nasuelli; Cesare Spadoni; Ivano Valmori; C. Zanas