Assessing the agroecological impact of digital tools in livestock production: A systematic review

• 73 research articles were analysed under the scope of digital tools for livestock production and agroecology. • Most digital tools in livestock targeted ruminants (78.1%) and focused on monitoring tasks (89%). • RGB/RGB-D cameras (42.5%) and stationary platforms (61.6%) were the most common technologies employed. • Digital tools mainly contributed to input reduction (58.9%), supporting the first tier of agroecology. • Nearly half of the studies (49.3%) were connected with high economic impacts. With the emergence of digital technologies, livestock production is experiencing a transformation. To ensure a transition towards more sustainable livestock systems, such as agroecologically based livestock production, consideration needs to be given to the environmental and social impacts of digitalization. Thus, the main aim of this study was to map digital tools used in the livestock sector and assess them in terms of economic, environmental and social impact, and define their potential as enablers of agroecology. A query search on the Web of Science database was followed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to identify relevant articles. In total, 73 articles were included in this analysis. The results indicated that most of the digital tools identified are used for managing ruminants (78.1%), with 89% of those tools used for monitoring tasks. The most frequently used digital tool and platform were the RGB/RGB-D camera (42.5%) and the stationary platform (61.6%), respectively. The digital tools contributed mainly to input reduction (e.g., feed, water) (58.9%), which corresponds to the first tier of agroecology. While digital technologies show potential to support agroecological transitions, current applications focus on efficiency rather than systemic change. Future research should explore their role in higher agroecological tiers, with particular attention to participatory design, environmental regeneration, and social equity.