IoT Adoption for Sustainable Agri-Food Logistics: Perceived Usefulness, Investment Intentions, and Implementation Barriers in Greece

Sustainability pressures in agri-food supply chains are creating growing interest in digital technologies that can improve the efficiency and responsiveness of logistics and supply chain operations. Within this context, the Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly discussed as a tool with potential applications that extend beyond farm-level monitoring to broader agri-food logistics processes. This study examines perceptions of IoT and factors associated with its wider integration through the perspectives of key professional groups involved in the agri-food supply chain, moving beyond single-actor approaches. Based on survey data from 217 professionals in Greece, including 40.1% agronomists, 32.7% farmers, and 27.2% logistics professionals, the analysis explores IoT familiarity, practical exposure, perceived barriers, investment intentions, and factors associated with wider IoT integration across different positions in the agri-food system. The findings reveal moderate familiarity with IoT, while 61.3% of respondents reported practical exposure through use or observation. Perceived IoT usefulness did not differ significantly across professional groups, whereas several implementation barriers showed role-specific differences. Investment intention was positively associated with perceived usefulness (odds ratio = 3.56, p < 0.001) and positive expectations regarding the future role of IoT (odds ratio = 1.85, p = 0.016), while difficulty in converting IoT-generated data into useful information was negatively associated with investment intention (odds ratio = 0.71, p = 0.004). Perceived financial cost was not independently significant (p = 0.203). By linking broadly shared perceptions of IoT value with role-specific implementation conditions, the study provides implications for targeted support measures, capacity-building initiatives, and digitalization policies aimed at facilitating implementation and the wider practical integration of IoT into sustainable agri-food logistics.