An overview of agriculture 4.0 development: Systematic review of descriptions, technologies, barriers, advantages, and disadvantages

•50 articles are critically analyzed as a result of an SLR.•The results show the descriptions, technologies, barriers, advantages, and disadvantages of agriculture 4.0.•A comprehensive definition of agriculture 4.0 has been proposed.•The barriers that hinder the development of agriculture 4.0 have been classified into five dimensions.•The information presented in the article helps to expand discussions on agriculture 4.0. Agriculture 4.0 upgrades traditional production methods and world agriculture strategies to an optimized value chain using a range of emerging technologies that enhance disruptive solutions at all stages of the agricultural production chain. Due to the complexity of the changing farm ecosystem, the new technological revolution's benefits will not be shared evenly. It is necessary to understand the problems and challenges that need to be addressed so that all countries fully benefit from the potential of agriculture 4.0. This study aims to contribute to the development of agriculture 4.0 by identifying descriptions, technologies, barriers, advantages, and disadvantages. Three independent researchers carried out a Systematic Literature Review based on the Protocol of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria pre-established in the Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases, 50 articles were selected for analysis. As a result, it was possible to identify the descriptions of agriculture 4.0, propose a definition, and present a compilation of approaches related to the term. Technologies of agriculture 4.0, responsible for revolutionizing and impacting how commodities are produced, processed, traded, and consumed, were also surveyed. Moreover, the barriers that hinder the development of agriculture 4.0 and that limit its progress are listed. The barriers were classified into five dimensions: technological, economic, political, social, and environmental. These are issues that need to be resolved in different areas to achieve a larger scale in countries looking to implement agriculture 4.0. Finally, this study's findings support actors in the agricultural production chain and pave the way for the successful development of agriculture 4.0. Besides, research helps broaden the inclusive debate that can shape the introduction of agriculture 4.0.