As India grapples with climate change, pandemics, and supply chain disruptions while trying to feed an ever-growing population, the World Economic Forum advocates the adoption of an AI environment in agricultural practices, delivering positive impacts on farmers and the broader environment.
- India is faced with the challenge of feeding a growing population while also addressing such risks as climate change, pandemics and supply chain disruptions.
- The AI for Agriculture Innovation initiative is transforming the agriculture sector in India by promoting the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies.
- Over 7,000 farmers are using the technology to monitor the health of their crops, perform quality control and test soil.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) supports India’s sustainable transformation in agriculture through the Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture Innovation (AI4AI) initiative, employing advanced AI tools and technologies. The WEF’s AI4AI project aims to reshape the Indian agricultural landscape by advancing the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), thus creating a resilient, environment-friendly AI environment.
India, with its massive population, has a pressing responsibility to secure food security while tackling climate change, global health threats, and supply chain disruptions. The WEF’s project, spearheaded by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India and the Platform for Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, assembles government, academia, and industry leaders to innovate solutions in agriculture.
The project’s Saagu Baagu pilot, a collaboration between C4IR India, the Government of Telangana, and Digital Green, has already gained traction among more than 7,000 farmers. The initiative primarily targets chili producers, providing AI-driven tools for crop health monitoring, soil testing, sowing quality assessment, and tillage prediction. Additionally, the project connects farmers to new customers and suppliers across geographies, establishing a flourishing AI environment in agriculture.
However, the transition to AI-driven agriculture is not without challenges. The high operational costs, fragmented technological infrastructure, data accessibility issues, and limited technical knowledge are among the significant obstacles. Over 1,000 agri-tech startups in India are poised to propel productivity and sustainability in agriculture. Still, these challenges could potentially stifle the growth and impact of these technologies.
The AI4AI initiative, in response, built a robust framework in 2021 for public-private partnerships through consultations with the Indian Government and the state government of Telangana. The C4IR India was instrumental in this effort, engaging with academic institutions, agricultural startups, established businesses, professional organizations, and civil society.
The AI4AI initiative’s integral part is the Saagu Baagu pilot, focused on bolstering chili producers and associated value chains in Telangana – a region responsible for nearly 23.5% of India’s chili production. India, the leading global chili producer, accounts for nearly 36% of the world’s chili output.
In the project’s vision of creating a robust digital agricultural ecosystem, various tools are under development, such as an agricultural “sandbox” for secure AI technology testing and a data exchange with a novel data management policy for ethical and transparent data usage.
The Saagu Baagu project has catalyzed collaborations, introducing the Fourth Industrial Revolution to Indian farmers through initiatives like AI-driven chatbots and AI-based food quality assessment technologies. These solutions provide farmers with real-time updates and help streamline quality standardization processes, fostering economic, social, and environmental benefits.
As the pilot’s experiences and insights are being used to expand the initiative to other Indian states and globally through the C4IR Network, the C4IR India is also sharing its lessons with other centers in Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Colombia. The WEF, through the C4IR, invites organizations and governments to join this global effort, creating an AI environment that could leave a transformative impact on agriculture worldwide.
By bridging AI technology and environmental considerations in agriculture, the AI4AI initiative highlights the potential of AI to address pressing global issues. Its pilot project demonstrates that the convergence of technology, environment, and agriculture can drive resilience and sustainability, positioning India at the forefront of this global shift.
