Exploring the Adoption of Geolocation Technology in Sustainable Food Systems

Sustainable food systems increasingly rely on digital innovations to address resource constraints, climate change, and the growing global population. Among these, geolocation technology stands out for its ability to enhance sustainable food systems’ productivity and transparency. Geolocation technology offers potential for transforming sustainable food systems by enabling precise resource allocation and enhancing sustainable food systems. Geolocation technology enables real-time tracking of crops, weather, and soil data, and facilitates precision agriculture via tools such as Variable Rate Applications (VRA). These technologies improve input efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and bolster production quality. While the potential of geolocation technology to improve sustainable food systems is widely recognised, farmers remain underserved due to systemic challenges. The study explores the factors influencing the adoption of geolocation technologies among farmers, important players in global food sustainability. The research identifies key enablers and barriers to adoption based on the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework and data derived from a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed sources. The TOE framework provides a structured lens to analyse these barriers and enablers across three domains: technological (perceived complexity, compatibility, and relative advantage), organisational (size, resources, and managerial support), and environmental (government policies, infrastructure, and market dynamics). A systematic literature review (SLR) was employed to identify and synthesise existing research related to geolocation technology in sustainable food systems. Using convenience sampling, the study analyses peer-reviewed articles from databases. The successful adoption of geolocation technology by small-scale farmers requires support from both organisational factors (like readiness and skills) and environmental factors (including regulatory frameworks and market demand). The findings aim to guide future research, inform policy, and support small-scale farmers’ adoption of geolocation technology in sustainable food systems.