Bridging the Digital Divide in Agriculture: A Collaborative Role of Libraries in Agri-Tech Adoption

Abstract

This study examined the challenges faced by the Karnataka farmers adopting the technologies in their agricultural activities and focused on the collaborative role of libraries in adopting agricultural technology (agri-tech). The study revealed that the farmers’ awareness and usage of agricultural websites/portals and apps is low and identified barriers such as poor digital literacy, financial constraints, and lack of infrastructure. Despite these challenges, the farmers expressed a significant interest in learning and using these tools, and there was a need for training and support. The libraries can play only a complementary role with other stakeholders. Therefore, a multi-stakeholder approach is very much needed. Thus, the study suggested other stakeholders such as the governments, NGOs, and Raitha Samparka Kendras (RSKs) collaborate with agricultural university libraries, and public libraries for add-on impact, and the study suggested actionable strategies for the collaborative of libraries in addressing the digital divide in Southern Karnataka.

Keywords: Farmers’ Technological Adoption, Libraries and Agricultural Knowledge, Agricultural Digital Infrastructure, Sustainable Farming Practices, Farmer Training and Support, Bridging Knowledge Gaps

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