UC Davis

This dissertation examines how farmers in California who sell at least some products directly to consumers or institutions experience the trend toward market digitalization, which was accelerated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. There is a trend toward market digitalization in many sectors of the modern economy, including the food system as the Internet increasingly mediates interactions and transactions between producers, retailers, and consumers. This trend accelerated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many consumers turned to the Internet to find information about and/or buy products to avoid the risks of exposure to COVID-19 at a grocery store. Since March 2020, direct market farmers also increased their use of online technologies to promote their farm, communicate with customers, and/or sell their products, and the number of online platforms specifically designed for direct market farmers has also increased in recent years. Considering this context, this dissertation seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) To what extent did online sales and marketing help farmers access markets during the early pandemic? (2) What are farmers’ attitudes toward and market digitalization, and how do they intersect with farmers’ demographics and values? And (3) To what extent does market digitalization enable greater access and inclusion or further exclusion of farmers into markets along the lines of social difference (gender, race, and national origin)? To answer, I analyzed quantitative data from 364 responses to a collaboratively-designed online survey, as well as qualitative data from 28 semi-structured interviews with farmers (in English and Spanish) and five interviews with technical assistance providers. I also conducted participant observation at farmer workshops and technical assistance meetings. The goal of this dissertation was to not only contribute to academic literature and a better understanding of the political economy of agriculture, but also to generate outcomes that would be directly beneficial, relevant, and applicable to direct market farmers in California. For this reason, I took a community-engaged approach to this research by consulting with staff at a non-profit organization that supports small-scale farmers in California on parts of the research design to understand what findings would be most helpful for them and for farmers. Findings from this research also have policy implications since they speak to farmers’ unequal access to resources and the importance of reliable access to the Internet, particularly in rural areas. Market digitalization adds a new dimension to the many ongoing challenges that small-scale and direct market farmers experience. Programs and policies that facilitate farmers' access to information and resources can enable farmers to make informed decisions about online technology adoption and use these tools more effectively. Farmers’ access to information and resources can enhance the overall resilience, equity, and sustainability of agri-food systems.