SUSTAINABLE FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIETY 5.0 CONCEPT – CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the ideas of Society 5.0 can be translated into the everyday management of a crop farm and what real benefits and limitations accompany this transformation. The focus is on linking digital tools with the environmental, economic, and social objectives of sustainable development, viewed from the perspective of on-farm practice. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative–quantitative approach in the form of a case study of a single anonymous crop farm located in the Kujawsko-pomorskie Province of Poland. The analysis is based on the farm’s operational data (crop structure, yields, records of purchases and usage of production means) as well as a structured interview with the farm owner. The research is complemented by a review of the literature and reports on digital agriculture, Society 5.0, and data governance. Findings: The case study shows that the gradual implementation of digital tools, which is focused on areas generating the greatest losses, makes it possible to achieve measurable environmental and cost-related effects without full farm automation. The greatest benefits resulted from the organization of treatment records (FMIS), the reduction of overlapping passes through the use of GNSS, and better adjustment of fertilization and crop protection to field conditions. Key barriers included costs, user competencies, and the integration and accessibility of data from machines and systems, including the risk of dependence on a single provider. Research limitations/implications: The findings relate to a single farm and are not representative of the entire sector. The observed effects may have been influenced by external factors such as weather conditions, changes in crop structure, or production means prices. The value of the study lies in illustrating a practical chain: data – decision – implementation – result, which is relevant for further research on the digitalization of agriculture. Practical implications: The most important solutions are those that shorten decision-making time and reduce losses that are difficult to detect in the short term, such as overlapping passes, repeated treatments, or incomplete records of field operations. In practice, the key issue is not “more technology” but better control of the production process. Social implications: Within the logic of Society 5.0, technology is intended to serve people by facilitating work, reducing time pressure and the risk of errors, and ordering documentation. The social dimension of sustainability thus translates into greater predictability of work and a reduced administrative burden.Originality/value: The article links the concept of Society 5.0 with the practice of crop farm management, demonstrating an implementation pathway from data, through decision-making, to measurable environmental, economic, and organizational effects.