Agricultural Technology Towards Youth Interest in Farming: A Systematic Literature Review

The agricultural sector is facing a growing challenge related to the aging farming population and the declining participation of younger generations. This trend threatens agricultural sustainability, food security, and rural economic development in many countries. Agricultural technology has emerged as a potential solution to attract young people into farming by transforming agriculture into a modern, productive, and innovation-driven sector. This study aims to systematically review the existing literature on the relationship between agricultural technology and youth interest in farming. Using a Scopus AI-assisted systematic literature review approach, this study synthesizes findings from scholarly publications concerning digital agriculture, precision farming, smart farming, agricultural innovation, and youth participation in agriculture. The review identifies six major themes: technological innovations in agriculture, socio-economic and cultural mediators, barriers to technology adoption, enabling factors, regional variations, and emerging research trends. The findings indicate that agricultural technology positively influences youth interest in farming through improved productivity, profitability, efficiency, market access, and social prestige. However, the effectiveness of technological interventions is significantly influenced by digital literacy, educational attainment, infrastructure availability, institutional support, and socio-cultural contexts. The review further reveals that existing studies remain dominated by cross-sectional research designs and often fail to integrate technological, behavioral, and institutional dimensions into a unified framework. This study proposes a conceptual synthesis integrating Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Human Capital Theory to better explain how agricultural technology shapes youth career intentions in agriculture. The findings provide valuable implications for policymakers, educational institutions, agribusiness organizations, and researchers seeking to strengthen farmer regeneration and promote sustainable agricultural development.