Digitalization “from above” in the Russian agro-industrial complex: From projects to reality

Abstract

Digitalization of almost all aspects of life in contemporary Russia has not bypassed the agricultural sector. Due to its combination with a clear administrative message to control everything in the economy, this gives interesting results for researchers and sometimes unexpected ones for developers. Thus, digitalization has already determined additional costs for producers and ultimately for consumers of agricultural products. In-depth interviews with direct users of information systems, which are quickly introduced by the state to ensure the “traceability” of all chains from inputs producers to outputs consumers, on the one hand, revealed the most acute organizational and technical problems associated with the implementation and practical operation of such systems; on the other hand, raise the question of the government intervention in business processes that have significant and difficult to standardize features. The imperative implementation of numerous information systems that are difficult to integrate can make life easier but also complicate it for producers. Moreover, the completely understandable desire of officials to know everything often leads to consequences that are opposite to expectations, thus creating an “illusion of control” based on unreliable information.