Last September 29, the @aries_project Twitter account hosted an online discussion on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in achieving global food security.
The main takeaways focused on how AI and big data may be able to help in taking food sovereignty beyond food security with good governance; the importance of ethics in the use of big and open data for farmers’ empowerment; and the need for a much closer collaboration between researchers and communities to achieve real-world solutions.
During one hour, subject experts Guy Poppy, University of Southampton and Food Standards Agency (@GuyPoppy1); Andy Jarvis, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (@ajarviscali); Samir K. Doshi (@samirkdoshi), Stanford University; Nadia Sitas and Odirilwe Selomane, Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University (@n_sitas, @OdirilweS) contributed to the lively conversation.
Other professionals within the sustainability field like María José Sanz, BC3’s scientific director (@MakMJS) also joined the five panellists by sharing their thoughts and concerns.
Many interesting resources and initiatives related to food security and AI came out during the Q&A session. For example, the CGIAR’s Inspire Challenge initiative, which showcases innovative projects using big data analytics to impact in developing economies, and the AfriCultuReS EU project that aims to design, implement and demonstrate an integrated agricultural monitoring and early warning system that will support decision making in the field of food security.
We would like to thank all the participants for bringing their great inputs and engaging in such thought-provoking exchanges throughout the one-hour chat! Check out the discussion’s wrap-up below and watch for the upcoming online discussions to be organized throughout the following months, both on our blog and via our social media channels.
