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Paper short abstract

This study examines how smallholder farmers in An Giang adopt digital technologies, revealing key internal and external drivers. Findings show that digital skills, cooperative membership, and perceived benefits strongly shape adoption, offering insights for more inclusive digital futures.

Paper long abstract

Digital agriculture is widely promoted as a pathway to enhance productivity, sustainability, and market integration for smallholder farmers. Yet, despite 91% of Vietnamese households owning smartphones and growing access to digital advisory services, meaningful adoption in farming remains limited. This study examines the extent and determinants of digital technology use among smallholder farmers in An Giang Province, a key agricultural hub of the Mekong Delta, and situates these trends within wider debates on digital inclusion and rural inequality.

Drawing on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI), Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we developed an integrated model distinguishing internal and external drivers of adoption. A mixed-methods design was used, including a survey of 272 farmers across three agro-ecological zones and nine focus group discussions held in July 2024. Poisson regression analysis identified factors shaping the frequency of digital technology use.

Findings show that smartphone literacy, perceived benefits, cooperative membership, and the use of platforms such as Google and ChatGPT significantly increase adoption. Agricultural income and migrant household members also correlate positively. Conversely, owning more smartphones reduces adoption, underscoring that access alone does not ensure meaningful use.

The study calls for strengthened digital skills training, improved institutional support, and user-centered design to enable more inclusive digital transformation in rural Vietnam.