Adoção e difusão de tecnologias digitais por pequenos e médios produtores de café na região de Huila - Colômbia

Abstract

Advances in digital technologies have promoted transformations in coffee farming, contributing to the optimization of production processes and the potential improvement of sustainability and coffee quality. Furthermore, the incorporation of these technologies may expand opportunities for integration into digital markets, aligning production with the demands of the global market. However, gaps remain in understanding how the adoption and diffusion of these technologies occur among small and medium coffee farmers in Huila, Colombia, as well as the factors that influence this process in specific production contexts. Evidence indicates that barriers to the adoption and diffusion of digital technologies are associated with cultural, social, economic, and digital access factors. In this context, participation in cooperative networks proves to be relevant, as it facilitates access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and contributes to reducing the technological and organizational barriers faced by producers. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of digital technologies among small and medium coffee farmers in Huila, Colombia, identifying adoption profiles and the role of cooperatives in this process. The present study aimed to identify the factors influencing the adoption and diffusion of digital technologies among small and mediumsized coffee farmers in Huila, Colombia, as well as to characterize adoption profiles and examine the role of the cooperative in this process. The research, characterized by a qualitative and quantitative approach with an exploratory-descriptive design, was conducted in three stages: a literature review aimed at detailing the main digital technologies used in coffee farming; the administration of structured questionnaires to 78 producers; and the conduction of nine semi-structured interviews with representatives of different technological profiles. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), combined with Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components (HCPC), while the qualitative phase employed categorical content analysis. The results indicated that digitalization in Huila was incipient, being mainly concentrated in communication tools, such as WhatsApp, and weather consultation applications, facing barriers such as poor rural connectivity and low levels of formal education among producers. The cluster analysis, grounded in the typologies proposed by Everett Rogers (2003) and Geoffrey Moore (2021), enabled the classification of producers into four profiles: the Late Majority (Cluster 1), characterized by a traditional and change-resistant orientation and representing the predominant group; the Early Majority (Cluster 2), displaying a pragmatic stance toward technological adoption; the Visionaries (Cluster 3), mainly composed of educated young farmers constrained by infrastructural limitations; and the Innovators (Cluster 4), who acted as living laboratories for technological experimentation. The initiatives proposed to overcome diffusion gaps emphasized the need for personalized technical assistance, the establishment of open innovation protocols between science and the farming sector, and the promotion of peer mentoring based on successful regional experiences. It is concluded that the digital transformation in Huila's coffee farming requires a multidimensional approach that transcends technical instruction, prioritizing digital literacy and the resignification of the field as an environment for strategic management and sustainable competitiveness.