Agriculture 4.0 in Central America: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Trends

Agriculture plays a fundamental role in Central America’s economy, yet it faces significant challenges that demand attention. This study aims to examine the technologies and research applied within the context of Agriculture 4.0 in the Central American region, evaluating its adoption and providing a comprehensive overview of the integration of emerging technologies. The analysis highlights that Costa Rica leads research in Agriculture 4.0 in the region, followed by Panama, with a particular focus on crops such as coffee and rice. Despite the increase in scientific production, there remains a notable lack of research in emerging technological areas. Improving agriculture in Central America necessitates investment in modern agricultural technology, promotion of sustainable practices, and enhancement of farmers’ skills. The implementation of Agriculture 4.0, leveraging artificial intelligence, IoT, IoUT, UGVs, digital twins, remote sensing, wireless sensor networks, and automation, is crucial for the sector’s advancement. Additionally, it is imperative to promote agricultural scientific research to develop crops resilient to climate change and more efficient production methods.