Digital Transformation in the Agri-food Sector: A Comparative Analysis of Industry 4.0 Innovations by Italian Sustainability Leaders

The agri-food sector is a key actor in the Italian economy and plays a crucial role in rescuing and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, diverse sustainability challenges including environmental conservation, economic volatility, political changes and regulatory constraints affect the agri-food company’s competitiveness and their ability to face global sustainability challenges. Exploiting digital innovation is then essential. By facilitating more efficient management of resources, reducing waste and improving supply chain transparency, digital innovations contribute to more sustainable, inclusive and resilient agri-food systems. This paper aims to understand the ongoing digital transformation of the Italian agri-food sector through a comparative analysis of innovative practices by Italian agri-food companies that are recognized as sustainability leaders. Among the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, sensors, blockchain, cyber security, and artificial intelligence appear to be the most adopted I4.0 solutions to help companies influence the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.