Exploring the Role of IS in Agriculture: Creating an Agenda towards Agri-Informatics

The use of information systems is common in almost every industry sector. However, in each industry sector systems are being used for specific business processes to attain specific objectives. Health informatics is one such example. At a time where global outlook is emphasizing on the value of food security, it is worth considering the role of information systems in the agriculture sector. This paper provides preliminary findings towards such a discussion. Gathering data from two large commercial farms, this study investigates the types of systems currently in place, user cohorts and the core business processes of an agri-business. It provides a summary of strengths, issues and potential opportunities of the current state of IS in agriculture and calls to consider the establishment of an Agri-Informatics research track to develop and guide a cumulative tradition of research.