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ABU DHABI, Dec 9 (WAM/APP): Global leaders and experts in agriculture and advanced technologies discussed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in strengthening sustainable agriculture and enhancing the resilience of food supply chains during an international panel held on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
The panel was held alongside Abu Dhabi’s launch of the AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development.
Speakers highlighted that AI enables more efficient responses to agricultural challenges by providing accurate, timely information to smallholder farmers and policymakers, and by consolidating fragmented data into practical tools for governments, researchers and the private sector.
On the role of AI in water management and agriculture, Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Affairs, said water is the lifeline of agriculture, noting that the sector consumes 70 percent of the world’s freshwater resources, which requires prudent management of water resources.
He explained that AI, along with future technologies, contribute to forecasting weather conditions and addressing desertification and water-related challenges such as floods, reduced rainfall and groundwater depletion. He noted that the UN Water Conference will provide an opportunity to apply these technologies in smart agriculture and support decision-makers in monitoring issues such as sea level rise and improving policy responses.
Speaking about AI’s role in advancing global smart agriculture programmes, Vice President of Planet at the World Bank Group Juergen Voegele, said AI can help integrate smallholder farmers into agricultural value chains by providing them with comprehensive information, including weather updates, market prices and pest-control guidance.
As part of empowering smallholder farmers and building community trust, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Founder and Chair of C4Impact Advisory Group in Rwanda, said the success of AI-enabled agricultural services depends on building trust with farmers and local communities through government leadership, clear guidance and credible service delivery, while respecting farmers’ traditional knowledge.
On the importance of open data and global infrastructure, Director of Agricultural Development at Gates Foundation Martien Van Nieuwkoop said AI forms a global infrastructure that transforms agricultural knowledge into practical services. He stressed the need for data and models to be available as global public goods to ensure that recommendations and guidance reach hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers by 2030.
He affirmed that partnerships between the UAE, global research institutions and the World Bank help empower farmers to access agricultural knowledge and tools comprehensively and at scale.