``What We Use is Never Reliable'': Exploring the Tension Between Tradition and Smart Farming Technologies in Himalayas

Smart farming has the potential to improve the efficiency of the agricultural sector in the Global South. However, factors such as lack of trust, skills, and resources often prevent their adoption. In this article, 20 farmers from Himachal Pradesh, India, have been interviewed to investigate their potential ability to adopt a satellite-based irrigation application. Our results show that the farmers have the necessary infrastructures and skills for adopting smart farming applications, but are often skeptical toward the advice they communicate. However, this skepticism toward digital services was not present in other fields of digital services. This paper provides design recommendations for future designers, where it is suggested that designers of smart farming applications should work closely with local stakeholders, and aim at lowering the perceived risks associated with smart farming to enhance the service adoption.