Digitalization in Indonesia’s Agrifood Sector in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 has disrupted Indonesia’s agricultural food supply chain, leading to the massive mintage and exertion of digitalization in the food and agriculture (agrifood) sector. This study systematically mapped the landscape of agrifood digital technology studies and startups in Indonesia and its relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic evidence evaluation was harnessed for this study to obtain data, which were translated into thematic and interactive maps. The study shows that COVID-19 has hampered some agrifood activities but has positively accelerated the development of digital technologies in the sector. The Government of Indonesia has issued national initiatives and policies that support implementing digital technologies in the agrifood sector. The digital technologies studied and utilized in Indonesia’s agrifood industry are websites, the Internet of Things (IoT), global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technology, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and robotics. About 22.8 percent of the reviewed literature discusses the ripple effects of COVID-19 on the digitalized agrifood sector in the country. Most startups are in the form of farmers’ advisory, mechanization platforms, digital marketplace, e-commerce, traceability, food delivery, and peer-to-peer lending. Both the studies and applications are primarily concentrated on Java island and have benefited from digital technologies, such as IoT, blockchain, AI, smartphone or Android, mobile apps, GPS/GIS, and drones. Startup companies have applied strategic measures to cope with the implications of the pandemic, such as suspending some of their activities.