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Environmental performance and choice of investment in digital tools on farms

With a degree in agro-economics engineering, specializing in agricultural and agri-food economics and management, I completed a Master 2 in "Project and public policy engineering" and a Master of Science in "Territorial development and projects". My interest in agricultural and agro-ecological research from an economic angle has always guided my choice of training and my research work.
In this thesis, I'm going to study environmental performance and the decision to invest in digital tools on French farms.
An abundant supply of digital equipment for the agricultural sector, combined with the political will to support an ecological transition, is leading farmers to reflect on their strategies for acquiring these technologies to better manage their farms and improve their productivity. Beyond these economic stakes, the impact of these tools on environmental performance has not been established. This thesis has two aims: i) to assess the effects of digital tool use on farm performance, ii) to understand the role of the environment in farmers' decisions, particularly when it comes to investment in digital tools. Are investments in digital tools part of a strategy to steer a sustainable farming system, or rather, as some have suggested, are they part of the continuity of a conventional system?

• Starting date : 3rd January 2022
• University : Agro campus Ouest (Site d’Angers)
• PhD school : Ecole Doctorale Economie Gestion (EDGE)
• Scientific topic : Economics
• Thesis management : Aude Ridier (AgroCampusOuest, Laress), Karine Daniel (ESA, Laress)
• Thesis supervisors  : Mohamed Ghali (ESA, Laress)
• Funding: Région Pays de la Loire, Institut agronomique méditerranéenne de Montpellier, Groupe ESA
• #DigitAg : Labeled PhD – Axe 6 : Modélisation et simulation (systèmes de production agricole), Axe 2 : Innovations en agriculture numérique Axe 3 : Capteurs, acquisition et gestion de données, Challenge 1 : Le challenge agroécologique, Challenge 6 : La gestion des territoires agricoles

Keywords : Environmental performance, digital, Evaluation, Investments, decision-making choice

Abstract: The contemporary period is characterized by an abundant supply of digital equipment intended for the agricultural sector combined with a political will and sectors to support an ecological and digital transition. This context is now leading farmers to reflect on their strategies for investing and acquiring digital tools. The use of these digital tools should make it possible to better manage operations, improve productivity, ensure better traceability and above all efficient use of resources and in particular energy resources. However, today the levels of equipment of farmers are very heterogeneous, they concern above all large farms and looking for productivity gains and intensification margins (Carillo and Abeni, 2020). In addition, the impact of the use of digital tools on the environmental performance of farms has not yet been fully established (Lioutas and Charatsari, 2020). This is partly explained by the difficulties of defining evaluation indicators.
This thesis has two objectives: i) to assess the effects of the use of digital tools on the economic and environmental performance of farms. For this, it will propose relevant indicators for assessing the impact of the use of new digital technologies on the environmental performance of farms. ii) Understand the place of the environment in the decisions of the farmer, in particular with regard to investments in digital tools. Are investments in digital tools part of a management strategy for a sustainable agricultural system or rather, as some people suggest, are they a continuation of a conventional system?