PhD Defence

Maha Ben Jaballah will defend her PhD in front of the following jury:

• Stéphane Lemarié (INRAE), referee
• Isabelle Piot-Lepetit (INRAE), referee
• Magali Aubert (INRAE), examinator
• Damien Rousselière (Institut Agro Rennes-Angers), examinator
• Aude Ridier (Institut Agro Rennes-Angers), supervisor
• Karine Daniel (ESA Angers), co-supervisor

Abstract

Facing increasing environmental, economic, and institutional pressures, European agriculture views digital technologies as a lever for competitiveness and sustainability. However, their diffusion remains uneven, and the overall cost borne by farmers is still largely underestimated in current analyses. This thesis provides an empirical analysis of investment in digital technologies, examining its determinants and its effects on farm performance. It first clarifies the concept of digital investment by developing a classification comprising four forms: unitary, complementary, integrated, and expansion-oriented. A composite indicator of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is developed to assess the real weight of these investments, encompassing expenses related to acquisition, maintenance, subscriptions, training, and outsourcing. This approach distinguishes three levels of investment (low, medium, and high) and enables an analysis of their distribution across different farm profiles. The findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in digital adoption, with field crop farms and viticulture investing at low to medium levels, while pig and poultry farms adopt higher levels of digital investment. An impact assessment in viticulture shows that low and medium levels of digital investment can contribute to reducing the use of phytosanitary products, though without immediate effects on productivity.