E-COMMERCE ADOPTION IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTOR: AN ANALYSIS IN PANDEMIC TIMES

ABSTRACT

The covid-19 pandemic encouraged e-commerce adoption by companies in the fruit and vegetable value chain in response to decreased sales. Despite this, certain challenges for the efficient use of e-commerce persist in the industry. Therefore, this research sought to identify the level of adoption of this business approach in organizations that make part of distribution link of the fruit and vegetable value chain in the city of Bogotá (Colombia). The emica methodology was implemented to recognize the challenges for a more competitive management by this sector in the post-pandemic era. Our findings show that organizations in this sector make extensive use of technologies and present a medium degree of maturity regarding e-commerce, making it necessary to improve interaction with customers in order to promote their products. We could establish that the use of social networks and valuable content creation improve marketing processes, while the need to engage more complex variables —such as digital traffic and omnichannel presence— is recognized a limitation for fully understanding the factors associated with e-commerce adoption. © 2023, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.