AI for Good – food and agriculture

Summary

This discussion at the AI for Good Summit focused on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in food and agriculture systems, featuring Dongyu Qu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan Martin. Qu emphasized the critical challenge of digital inequality, noting that one in three people worldwide remains offline, with 2.6 billion people lacking internet access, particularly in rural and low-income countries. He warned that this digital divide has become a developmental divide, threatening to leave the most vulnerable populations behind in the AI revolution. The FAO Director General outlined four key areas where AI can transform agriculture: enabling precision farming for smallholder farmers, enhancing resource management and climate adaptation, optimizing global food supply chains, and replacing manual food inspection with automated AI systems. He provided concrete examples of FAO’s AI initiatives, including remote sensing platforms for drought analysis, predictive models for farming decisions, and AI-powered advisory services that have reduced costs from $30 to $3 per farm, with potential to reach $0.30. Qu highlighted FAO’s commitment to ethical AI development, referencing their participation in the Roman Call for AI Ethics alongside the Holy See, Microsoft, and IBM. The organization has also created an AI knowledge bot using nearly 150,000 scientific publications and is developing the world’s first agri-food-focused foundation model. The discussion concluded with the joint launch of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026, targeting youth aged 12-18 to design robots addressing food security issues. This initiative represents a collaborative effort to empower the next generation of innovators while ensuring AI development remains inclusive, transparent, and focused on eliminating hunger globally.

Keypoints

**Major Discussion Points:**

– **Digital divide as a barrier to AI adoption in agriculture**: Nearly 2.6 billion people lack internet access, with only 26% in low-income countries using it, creating a “developmental divide” that prevents those most in need from benefiting from AI innovations in food and agriculture.

– **AI applications transforming agricultural systems**: AI enables precision agriculture for smallholder farmers, enhances resource management and climate adaptation, optimizes global food supply chains, and automates food inspection systems to ensure traceability and affordability.

– **FAO’s practical AI implementations and cost reductions**: The organization has deployed AI-powered advisory services that reduced costs from $30 to $3 per farm (with potential to reach $0.30), created multilingual chatbots for farmers, and developed predictive models for planting and harvesting decisions.

– **Ethical and responsible AI governance**: FAO emphasizes the importance of inclusive, transparent AI solutions that respect human dignity and serve both humanity and the planet, as outlined in their participation in the Roman Call for AI Ethics.

– **Launch of Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026**: A global initiative targeting youth aged 12-18 to design robots addressing food security issues, with over 50 countries participating to empower the next generation of innovators in agricultural transformation.

**Overall Purpose:**

The discussion aimed to showcase how AI is being leveraged to address global food security challenges, highlight the digital divide that threatens equitable access to these technologies, and announce initiatives to engage youth in developing innovative solutions for agricultural transformation.

**Overall Tone:**

The tone was consistently optimistic and forward-looking throughout, with speakers expressing enthusiasm about AI’s potential while acknowledging serious challenges. The discussion maintained a professional yet inspiring atmosphere, emphasizing collaboration and inclusive innovation. The tone became particularly energetic during the announcement of the youth robotics challenge, reflecting genuine excitement about engaging the next generation in solving global food security issues.

Speakers

– **Moderator**: Role/Title: Discussion moderator; Area of expertise: Not specified

– **Dongyu Qu**: Role/Title: Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Area of expertise: Food and agriculture, AI applications in agri-food systems, digital transformation in agriculture

– **Doreen Bogdan Martin**: Role/Title: ITU Secretary General; Area of expertise: Information and communication technology, digital inclusion, robotics initiatives

Additional speakers:

None identified beyond the provided speakers names list.

# AI for Good Summit Discussion: Artificial Intelligence in Food and Agriculture Systems

## Executive Summary

This AI for Good Summit session featured Dongyu Qu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan Martin discussing AI’s role in addressing global food security challenges. The conversation focused on the digital divide as a barrier to AI adoption in agriculture, practical AI applications currently being implemented by FAO, and the importance of ethical AI governance. The session concluded with the joint announcement of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026, aimed at engaging young people in developing technology solutions for food security.

## Key Participants

**Dongyu Qu, FAO Director General** discussed AI applications in agriculture, digital inequality challenges, and FAO’s current AI initiatives. He emphasized the need for inclusive AI development and ethical governance frameworks.

**Doreen Bogdan Martin, ITU Secretary General** participated in announcing the youth robotics challenge and highlighted the collaborative approach to addressing global challenges through technology.

The **Moderator** facilitated the discussion and provided context about AI’s impact in food and agriculture sectors.

## Major Discussion Points

### Digital Divide as Development Challenge

Qu opened by highlighting the scale of digital inequality globally. He cited ITU statistics showing that “one in three people worldwide remains offline, most of them in rural and low-income countries. Nearly 2.6 billion people still lack access to the Internet, and only 26% of people in low-income countries use it at all.” He also referenced World Bank data indicating that “fewer than one in five people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to the broadband.”

Qu characterized this as more than a technical issue: “The digital divide has become a developmental divide,” warning that “if we allow these gaps to persist, the promises of artificial intelligence to reduce poverty, improve resilience, and drive innovation will remain out of reach for those who need it most.”

### FAO’s AI Applications and Initiatives

Qu outlined four key areas where FAO is applying AI in agriculture, though he provided limited detail on each application during the session. He highlighted several specific FAO initiatives:

– AI-powered advisory services that reduced costs from $30 to $3 per farm, with potential to reach $0.30

– Development of multilingual chatbots for farmers

– Creation of predictive models for planting and harvesting decisions

– Use of remote sensing and geospatial platforms for analyzing drought, water stress, and crop management

– Development of a specialized AI knowledge bot built from nearly 150,000 scientific publications

– Work on “the world’s first agri-food-focused foundation model”

Qu mentioned FAO’s partnership with Digital Green and referenced the organization’s open access policy maintained since 2018, which makes data freely available to all users.

### Ethical AI Governance

Qu emphasized the importance of responsible AI development, referencing FAO’s participation in the Roman Call for AI Ethics alongside the Holy See, Microsoft, and IBM. He stated that “responsible AI, which is accessible to all, it’s not just the right way to tackle the hunger, poverty, and climate challenges. It is the only way.”

He also mentioned FAO’s commitment to “four betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, a better life, leaving no one behind.”

### Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026

The session concluded with the joint announcement of the youth robotics challenge, targeting young people aged 12-18 to design robots addressing food security issues. Qu explained that this initiative would empower youth to become “agents of change in fighting hunger through digital skills.”

Doreen Bogdan Martin noted the expanded scope: “over 50 countries that have already confirmed, which is double what we have this year,” with the goal of making this “the most inclusive robotics event ever.” She emphasized that participants would build AI skills through the challenge.

FAO committed to providing technical guidance, mentorship, and support through the FAO Youth Innovation Lab.

## Future Outlook

Qu concluded with remarks about future technological convergence, mentioning “deep thinking, deep design, and deep think” and referencing “deep blue areas.” He suggested that by 2050, there would be convergence of “BIT” – biotechnology, IT, and AI.

He also noted that FAO’s 80th anniversary is approaching in October, providing context for the organization’s long-term commitment to addressing global food challenges.

## Key Takeaways

The discussion demonstrated both the potential of AI to transform agricultural systems and the critical challenge of ensuring equitable access to these technologies. The speakers emphasized that addressing the digital divide is essential for AI to effectively contribute to global food security. The youth robotics challenge represents a concrete collaborative effort to engage the next generation in developing technology solutions for food security while building AI skills.

The session highlighted FAO’s practical experience in implementing AI solutions and the importance of ethical governance frameworks in ensuring that AI development serves global development goals rather than exacerbating existing inequalities.

Moderator: Hello, everyone. I’m going to give you a little bit of background. We’re in another area where AI is really making an impact, and that is in food and agriculture. And I’m just going to see how many of you had a really rather nice breakfast this morning. Okay. How many of you had a sort of rushed breakfast where you grabbed something on the way out to get here? Yes. I think that is the way forward on these conference events. We’re just sort of fueled by our energy. And the food is just an instrumental fuel to get us through the fantastic networking that will be awaiting us later on. So let’s talk a little bit more about food and agriculture. It’s absolutely excellent to invite to the stage the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the FAO. So please, everyone, can you give a lovely warm welcome to Dongyu Qu. Thank you.

Dongyu Qu: Excellencies, ladies, gentlemen, good morning. A year ago, we all gathered for the Previous AI for Good Summit, and today we meet again at a time when the digital transformation is accelerating even more rapidly, yet not equally. According to the ITUs, one in three people worldwide remains offline, most of them in rural and low-income countries. Nearly 2.6 billion people still lack access to the Internet, and only 26% of people in low-income countries use it at all. The World Bank added that fewer than one in five people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to the broadband, limiting not only connectivity, but also the capacity to participate in the digital and the AI revolution. As Doreen said earlier, we are entering AI generation, but how many people are left behind? We have to seriously address these issues and the gaps. The digital divide has become a developmental divide. If we allow these gaps to persist, the promises of artificial intelligence to reduce poverty, improve resilience, and drive innovation will remain out of reach for those who need it most. Over the past year, AI has penetrated our economies, our societies, our daily lives even further. The AI revolution is reshaping the world we live in, and while it holds an immense promise to improve lives, reduce inequalities, and bridge the ever-rural divide, that promise is at risk unless we steer AI in the right direction. At FAO, we firmly believe that in turning the challenge into opportunities, and we are therefore working to drive the right thinking on AI, one that is responsible, ethical, and empowered for farmers, consumers, and the communities, especially local communities. We recognized earlier on the transformative potential of AI in global agri-food systems and support them to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable. AI can, among others, first, enable precision agriculture, helping smallholder farmers or family farmers at large, growing more with less. Second, enhance resource management and climate adaptation. Third, optimize the global food supply chain and focus on extreme weather and disease outbreaks. And fourth, replace manual food inspection with a fast, automatic AI-powered system to ensure that food is traceable, accessible, and affordable. These are not abstract promises. We are already putting them into action. Through our advanced remote science and geospatial platforms, AI allows us to rapidly analyze the drought, water stress, crop types, land use, and forest management. We are leveraging open-source big data to attract food security threats before they become a crisis. Our predictive models help farmers decide when to sow, harvest, or bring the goods to the market. Our partnership with Digital Green brings AI-powered advisory services directly to farmers. It is now available in local languages and curated local crops and contexts. With generative AI, we have reduced the cost of farmers’ advisory services from $30 U.S. to $3 U.S. per farm, and with the potential to decrease further to just $0.30 per farm. works, not only slog, not only beautiful storytelling, it matters to the poor smallholder farmers. We have also extended this to our farmers’ field schools, where the chatboxes in local languages provide real-time relevant advice on climate-resilient farming. As we approach the FAO 80th anniversary in October this year, FAO reaffirms its role as the world’s knowledge organization for food and culture. Since 2018, our open access policy has made reliable data freely available to all, from researchers to policymakers and to farmers. Now we are going even further. One of our most ambitious initiatives is a specialized AI knowledge bot built on our repository of nearly 150,000 scientific publications. We are also collaborating on the world’s first agri-food-focused foundation model to deliver tailored AI support from planting to market access to end-of-use cross-agri-food systems. As a founding member of the Digital Public Booth Alliance at FAO, we know that the inclusive solutions are not just about the infrastructure, they are about people, governance, and ethnic. That is why in 2020, FAO joined the Roman call for AI ethics. Together with the Holy See, Microsoft, IBM, to champion an ethics AI that respects human dignity, upholds the rights and services both of humanity and the planet, founded in a commitment to do no harm. Responsible governance of AI is essential to delivering the four betters, better production, better nutrition, a better environment, a better life, leaving no one behind. Responsible AI, which is accessible to all, it’s not just the right way to tackle the hunger, poverty, and climate challenges. It is the only way. It is a solution provider. FAO invited all of you to part with us to ensure that the future of AI is inclusive, transparent, and just. Together, we can deliver on the promise of AI for good. We are now from the chart to the deep thinking, deep design, and deep think. We are going to deep blue areas, which come from the farmers and agrofiscal and rural affairs. It is the deep blue of the bigger data. It’s our future for this integrity of the world. Ladies and gentlemen, now together with my estimated colleagues, the ITU Secretary General, I’m pleased to launch the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025 to 2026. This global initiative empowers youth aged 12 to 18 to design and build a robot that addresses one of the most ageing issues of our time, food security, food availability, food affordability, and food accessibility. FAO is proud to be the strategy partner in this challenge by providing technical guidance, mentorship, and support needed through the FAO Youth Innovation Lab and transparent research and models. This challenge is not just about the robotics. It is about empowering youth to become the agent of change in the fight against hunger. By linking digital skills with agrofiscal transformation, we are investing in the future that is smarter, greener, and more inclusive. FAO is committed to ensure that the next generation of innovators is equipped to build a world free from hunger. It’s our future.

Doreen Bogdan Martin: Thank you. Thank you so much, Director General. It’s wonderful to have you here with us at AI for Good, and thank you for being such a strong supporter. As you’ve just heard from our DG, we’re thrilled to be announcing the launch of our second edition of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge on food security in partnership with FAO. Our goal, as you’ve heard, is to make the most inclusive robotics event ever. We’re just getting started. We’re so excited. We have over 50 countries that have already confirmed, which is double what we have this year. I think it also is a sign of actually doubling opportunities. We’re doubling opportunities for young innovators to transform global food systems, and of course, to also gain valuable AI skills while they’re at it. Thank you so much. We’re very excited about this partnership, DG. Thank you.

Dongyu Qu: Thank you. I want to start this on the biotechnology, BT. She is responsible for IT, and the future, 2050, maybe we’ll have BIT.

Doreen Bogdan Martin: BIT? Biotechnology, best AI, future of world. You will see. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Moderator:

Agreement points

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Speakers

– Dongyu Qu
– Doreen Bogdan Martin

Arguments

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Summary

Both speakers strongly support the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026 as a strategic initiative to empower young people (ages 12-18) to address food security issues through technology. They view this as an investment in future innovators and a way to build AI skills while tackling global challenges.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

AI transformation in agriculture

Speakers

– Dongyu Qu
– Moderator

Arguments

AI Applications in Agriculture and Food Systems

Event context focuses on AI’s impact in food and agriculture sectors

Summary

Both speakers recognize and emphasize the significant impact and transformative potential of AI in food and agriculture sectors, establishing this as a critical area for discussion and development.

Topics

Development | Economic

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers demonstrate enthusiasm for engaging youth in technology solutions for global challenges, particularly food security. They share the vision of making the robotics challenge inclusive and see it as doubling opportunities for young innovators while building valuable AI skills.

Speakers

– Dongyu Qu
– Doreen Bogdan Martin

Arguments

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Unexpected consensus

Cross-organizational collaboration on youth technology initiatives

Speakers

– Dongyu Qu
– Doreen Bogdan Martin

Arguments

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Explanation

The seamless collaboration between FAO (food/agriculture organization) and ITU (telecommunications organization) on a youth robotics challenge represents unexpected consensus across different UN agencies with distinct mandates, showing unified commitment to youth empowerment in technology for addressing global challenges.

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion shows strong consensus around youth empowerment through technology and the transformative potential of AI in agriculture. All speakers align on the importance of addressing food security through technological innovation and engaging young people as agents of change.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with collaborative spirit. The speakers demonstrate unified vision for leveraging AI and robotics to address global challenges, particularly through youth engagement. This consensus suggests strong institutional alignment and shared commitment to inclusive technological solutions for sustainable development goals.

Different viewpoints

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

There are no significant disagreements among the speakers in this transcript. All speakers are aligned on the importance of AI in agriculture, the need for inclusive technology access, and youth empowerment through robotics challenges.

Disagreement level

Minimal to no disagreement. This appears to be a collaborative presentation rather than a debate, with speakers supporting complementary initiatives and sharing aligned visions for AI in agriculture and food security. The lack of disagreement suggests strong institutional cooperation between FAO and ITU on these issues.

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers demonstrate enthusiasm for engaging youth in technology solutions for global challenges, particularly food security. They share the vision of making the robotics challenge inclusive and see it as doubling opportunities for young innovators while building valuable AI skills.

Speakers

– Dongyu Qu
– Doreen Bogdan Martin

Arguments

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Youth Empowerment and Robotics Challenge

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Key takeaways

The digital divide has become a developmental divide, with 2.6 billion people lacking internet access and risking exclusion from AI benefits

AI has transformative potential in agriculture through precision farming, resource management, supply chain optimization, and automated food inspection systems

FAO has successfully implemented AI solutions that dramatically reduce costs (from $30 to $3 per farm for advisory services) and improve accessibility through local language support

Responsible and ethical AI governance is essential for addressing global challenges of hunger, poverty, and climate change

Youth empowerment through technology education is crucial for future food security solutions

Open access to data and knowledge sharing is fundamental to making AI benefits available to all, especially smallholder farmers

Resolutions and action items

Launch of the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2025-2026 in partnership between FAO and ITU for youth aged 12-18 to address food security

FAO to provide technical guidance, mentorship, and support through the FAO Youth Innovation Lab for the robotics challenge

Continue development of the world’s first agri-food-focused foundation model for tailored AI support across food systems

Expand AI-powered advisory services to more farmers through partnership with Digital Green

Further development of the specialized AI knowledge bot built on FAO’s repository of 150,000 scientific publications

Unresolved issues

How to effectively bridge the digital divide for the 2.6 billion people without internet access

Specific strategies for ensuring AI benefits reach rural and low-income populations in sub-Saharan Africa where only one in five have broadband access

Implementation details for scaling AI solutions from current pilot programs to global deployment

Mechanisms for ensuring ethical AI governance across different countries and regulatory frameworks

Funding and resource allocation for expanding AI infrastructure in underserved regions

Suggested compromises

None identified

The digital divide has become a developmental divide. If we allow these gaps to persist, the promises of artificial intelligence to reduce poverty, improve resilience, and drive innovation will remain out of reach for those who need it most.

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Reason

This comment reframes the digital divide not just as a technology access issue, but as a fundamental barrier to development and progress. It challenges the assumption that AI will automatically benefit everyone and highlights how technological advancement could actually exacerbate existing inequalities if not properly addressed.

Impact

This statement set the critical tone for the entire discussion, shifting it from a celebratory view of AI progress to a more nuanced examination of who benefits from AI advancement. It established the central tension that guided the rest of his presentation – the gap between AI’s potential and its actual accessibility to those who need it most.

With generative AI, we have reduced the cost of farmers’ advisory services from $30 U.S. to $3 U.S. per farm, and with the potential to decrease further to just $0.30 per farm… it matters to the poor smallholder farmers.

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Reason

This comment provides concrete evidence of AI’s transformative potential by demonstrating a 100-fold cost reduction in essential services. It moves the discussion from abstract promises to tangible impact, showing how AI can democratize access to agricultural expertise for the world’s most vulnerable farmers.

Impact

This specific example served as a powerful proof point that grounded the theoretical discussion in real-world application. It demonstrated that the digital divide concerns raised earlier weren’t insurmountable, and provided a concrete model for how AI could be made accessible and affordable for those who need it most.

Responsible AI, which is accessible to all, it’s not just the right way to tackle the hunger, poverty, and climate challenges. It is the only way.

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Reason

This statement elevates the discussion by arguing that inclusive AI isn’t merely preferable but essential for addressing global challenges. It suggests that without inclusive access, AI solutions will fundamentally fail to solve the world’s most pressing problems, making ethical considerations not just moral imperatives but practical necessities.

Impact

This comment crystallized the entire argument and provided a philosophical anchor for the discussion. It transformed the conversation from one about improving AI access to one about the fundamental viability of AI solutions without inclusivity, raising the stakes considerably.

I want to start this on the biotechnology, BT. She is responsible for IT, and the future, 2050, maybe we’ll have BIT… Biotechnology, best AI, future of world.

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Reason

Despite being somewhat unclear in delivery, this comment introduces a forward-looking vision that combines biotechnology with AI, suggesting a convergence of technologies that could reshape agriculture and food systems. It hints at future possibilities beyond current AI applications.

Impact

This final comment, while brief and somewhat cryptic, opened up a new dimension to the discussion by suggesting the convergence of multiple technological domains. It left the audience with a forward-looking perspective that extended beyond current AI applications to future integrated solutions.

Overall assessment

The key comments shaped this discussion by establishing a critical framework that balanced AI’s transformative potential with urgent concerns about accessibility and equity. Dongyu Qu’s opening remarks about the digital divide becoming a developmental divide set a sobering tone that prevented the discussion from becoming overly optimistic about AI’s benefits. His concrete examples of cost reduction in farmer advisory services provided credible evidence that these concerns could be addressed, while his assertion that inclusive AI is ‘the only way’ elevated the stakes and made clear that ethical considerations are practical necessities rather than optional ideals. The discussion effectively moved from identifying problems to demonstrating solutions to articulating a philosophical framework for responsible AI development, culminating in forward-looking initiatives like the Youth Robotics Challenge that embody these principles in action.

How can we effectively address the digital divide that leaves 2.6 billion people without internet access, particularly in rural and low-income countries?

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Explanation

This is crucial because the digital divide has become a developmental divide, and without addressing connectivity gaps, AI’s promises to reduce poverty and drive innovation will remain out of reach for those who need it most

How can we ensure AI development and implementation is steered in the right direction to be responsible, ethical, and empowering for farmers and communities?

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Explanation

This is important because while AI holds immense promise to improve lives and reduce inequalities, that promise is at risk unless AI is properly guided and governed

What will BIT (the combination of biotechnology, IT, and AI) look like by 2050?

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Explanation

This represents a future research area that could define the next phase of technological integration in agriculture and food systems

How can the cost of AI-powered farmers’ advisory services be further reduced from the current $0.30 per farm target?

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Explanation

This is important for making AI services even more accessible to smallholder farmers and scaling impact in agricultural development

How can we ensure that AI solutions in agriculture are truly inclusive in terms of people, governance, and ethics, not just infrastructure?

Speaker

Dongyu Qu

Explanation

This is critical because inclusive solutions require addressing human and governance factors beyond just technological infrastructure to achieve meaningful impact