Tools
Tools
Asiedu, Emmanuel and Shortland, Susan (2025) Digitalizing agriculture and the improvement of farming business practices: how rural farmers in Ghana employ mobile phone technology. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. ISSN 1355-2554 (In Press)
Purpose
This purpose of this paper is to explore how rural farmers in the Kwahu district of Ghana use mobile phone technology, what they see as the benefits of digitalization and how this technology supports and improves their small business agricultural practices.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research approach draws upon in-depth semi-structured interviews with 24 rural farmers, 12 of whom are given farming advice by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and 12 by a non-governmental electronic market body which, in addition, provides training in mobile phone technology use. Thematic analysis is used to identify key findings.
Findings
Farmers identify improved customer and agricultural benefits as well as family access as the key benefits of using mobile phone technology, enabling them to change their farming business practices to acquire land more efficiently, and improve crop yields, customer relationships, sales and profitability. Social benefits also are also identified through mobile phone technology adoption.
Originality
This study reports on how Ghanaian farmers working in remote, rural settings employ mobile phone technology to improve their business practices. Its findings are set within the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework to highlight the benefits associated with adopting digitalization in an African country heavily reliant upon its agricultural sector.
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