E-Business in the Agricultural Input Industries

A variety of factors are creating pressure for increased use of information technologies and e-business concepts in the agricultural input industries. Understanding where information technology and e-business concepts will add value to the distribution channels for agricultural inputs requires an understanding of the needs of the two primary agents in the channel: agricultural producers and manufacturers. In this paper, a framework for understanding the changes information technology and e-business may bring to the distribution channel is developed. In addition, some of the attitudes of managers toward e-business and the impacts of information technologies for the agricultural inputs industries are considered. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.