A Conceptual Model Relationship between Industry 4.0—Food-Agriculture Nexus and Agroecosystem: A Literature Review and Knowledge Gaps

Abstract

With the expected colonization of human daily life by artificial intelligence, including in industry productivity, the deployment of Industry 4.0 (I4) in the food agriculture industry (FAI) is expected to revolutionize and galvanize food production to increase the efficiency of the industry’s production and to match, in tandem, a country’s gross domestic productivity. Based on a literature review, there have been almost no direct relationships between the I4—Food-Agriculture (I4FA) Nexus and the agroecosystem. This study aimed to evaluate the state-of-the-art relationships between the I4FA Nexus and the agroecosystem and to discuss the challenges in the sustainable FAI that can be assisted by the I4 technologies. This objective was fulfilled by (a) reviewing all the relevant publications and (b) drawing a conceptual relationship between the I4FA Nexus and the agroecosystem, in which the I4FA Nexus is categorized into socio-economic and environmental (SEE) perspectives. Four points are highlighted in the present review. First, I4 technology is projected to grow in the agricultural and food sectors today and in the future. Second, food agriculture output may benefit from I4 by considering the SEE benefits. Third, implementing I4 is a challenging journey for the sustainable FAI, especially for the small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Fourth, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles can help to manage I4’s implementation in agriculture and food. The advantages of I4 deployment include (a) social benefits like increased occupational safety, workers’ health, and food quality, security, and safety; (b) economic benefits, like using sensors to reduce agricultural food production costs, and the food supply chain; and (c) environmental benefits like reducing chemical leaching and fertilizer use. However, more studies are needed to address social adaptability, trust, privacy, and economic income uncertainty, especially in SMEs or in businesses or nations with lower resources; this will require time for adaptation to make the transition away from human ecology. For agriculture to be ESG-sustainable, the deployment of I4FA could be an answer with the support of an open-minded dialogue platform with ESG-minded leaders to complement sustainable agroecosystems on a global scale.

Bridging Industry 5.0 and Agriculture 5.0: Historical Perspectives, Opportunities, and Future Perspectives

“…Consequently, Agriculture 4.0 provides numerous interrelated constraints that affect the acceptance of any new emerging technology concepts [47]. Few selections of research studies approach and examine the obstacles to the implementation of Agriculture 4.0 technologies [11,48], the difficulties associated with its inclusion and exclusion [44], and the problems that the new agricultural system may cause [17,49]. In addition, the scientific discussion over the obstacles that make Agriculture 4.0 difficult to develop is ongoing [17,[47][48][49][50].…”

“…Few selections of research studies approach and examine the obstacles to the implementation of Agriculture 4.0 technologies [11,48], the difficulties associated with its inclusion and exclusion [44], and the problems that the new agricultural system may cause [17,49]. In addition, the scientific discussion over the obstacles that make Agriculture 4.0 difficult to develop is ongoing [17,[47][48][49][50]. Despite the numerous benefits that the realization of Agriculture 4.0 could offer, there are still several unanswered questions and obstacles that must be resolved to permit a smooth transition to this paradigm.…”

The role of ESG in the adaptation of the agro-industrial sector to climate change

“…Agriculture, in turn, is also one of the main areas for achieving sustainable development goals (Shi et al, 2022;Yap & Al-Mutairi, 2024). This is how it provides food to the population of the country, and achieving the ability to consistently and continuously create such products is an important component for the qualitative development of the country in the future.…”

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“…Sustainable development in the modern conditions of the country's development plays a critical role, since it ensures a balance between economic, social, and environmental progress, while preserving the ability of future generations to meet their needs (Anarbayev et al, 2024). Agriculture, in turn, is also one of the main areas for achieving sustainable development goals Yap & Al-Mutairi, 2024). This is how it provides food to the population of the country, and achieving the ability to consistently and continuously create such products is an important component for the qualitative development of the country in the future.…”