Transforming Agri-Food Systems through Agriculture 4.0.

The increasing pressure on global agri-food systems caused by population growth, climate change, natural resource depletion, and food security challenges has intensified the search for more sustainable, efficient, and resilient agricultural practices. In this scenario, Agriculture 4.0 has emerged as a transformative paradigm driven by the integration of emerging technologies into agri-food systems. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, big data analytics, blockchain, cloud computing, drones, and precision agriculture are reshaping how food is produced, processed, distributed, and monitored. These innovations can enhance productivity, optimize resource use, improve traceability, reduce environmental impacts, and support data-driven decision-making throughout agri-food systems.Despite the growing interest in Agriculture 4.0, significant research gaps remain regarding its implementation, accessibility, scalability, and contribution to the transformation of agri-food systems. Current studies are often fragmented, focusing on isolated technologies or specific applications, while limited attention has been given to the broader systemic transformation enabled by emerging technologies within agri-food systems. In addition, technological adoption continues to face several barriers, including limited infrastructure, high investment costs, lack of technical skills, data governance concerns, and institutional and regulatory challenges. These issues affect different regions and contexts in varying ways, highlighting the need for more comprehensive and comparative research. This Research Topic aims to foster interdisciplinary discussions and provide new theoretical and empirical insights into how Agriculture 4.0 can transform agri-food systems toward greater sustainability, resilience, inclusiveness, and efficiency. The collection also seeks to examine the drivers, barriers, opportunities, and impacts associated with the transformation of agri-food systems across diverse contexts.This Research Topic welcomes theoretical, empirical, methodological, and review studies addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:• Agriculture 4.0 technologies and transformation of agri-food systems;• Precision agriculture and smart farming systems;• Artificial intelligence, IoT, robotics, and automation in agriculture;• Big data analytics and data-driven decision-making in agri-food systems;• Sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices;• Food systems resilience, traceability, and transparency;• Drivers and barriers to Agriculture 4.0 adoption;• Innovation ecosystems and technological entrepreneurship in agriculture;• Public policies and governance for agricultural transformation;• Social inclusion and agri-food systems transformation;• Environmental sustainability and resource efficiency in agri-food systems;• Emerging technologies and business models in agricultureThe collection welcomes original research articles, review papers, case studies, conceptual papers, and interdisciplinary contributions. Topic editors: Franco da Silveira, Dheeraj Bharti Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82220/transforming-agri-food-systems-through-agriculture-40