AI-Driven Innovation for a Sustainable Global Food Hub (AI-SFH)

I. Objectives

This special session addresses a central question: how can artificial intelligence help build food systems that are productive, resilient, and sustainable enough to serve as reliable food sources for the world? The session takes a value-chain perspective, covering the entire food system from on-farm production and industrial processing to logistics, trade, and consumption.

AI-driven innovations that generate value in three interrelated aspects are the main focus of the session:

  1. Productivity and Quality: enhancing product standards to compete in international markets, cutting losses, and boosting yields
  2. Sustainability: limiting influence on the environment, conserving resources, and adjusting to climate change
  3. Food Security and Inclusivity: ensuring that smallholder farmers and small and medium-sized businesses profit from technological advancements while also bolstering food security

Global food systems face mounting pressure from population growth, climate variability, natural disasters, resource scarcity, and increasingly stringent international requirements for traceability, food safety, and carbon emissions. AI offers powerful tools to address these challenges, yet its adoption remains uneven, particularly among small-scale producers and in resource-constrained settings.

Objectives

  1. To provide a forum for presenting research and innovations in AI that advance food systems and the agri-food industry
  2. To share case studies of real-world AI deployment across the food supply chain, including both successes and limitations
  3. To promote the development of affordable and accessible AI technologies for smallholder farmers and small-scale enterprises
  4. To align AI innovation with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Zero Hunger, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action
  5. To foster collaboration among researchers, industry practitioners, policymakers, and farming communities worldwide

II. Scope

Topics include, but are not limited to:

A. Smart and Precision Agriculture

  • Computer vision for plant disease and pest detection, and ripeness or quality assessment of produce
  • Crop yield prediction and cultivation planning
  • IoT, drones, and remote sensing for farm management
  • Smart irrigation and water and soil resource management

B. Livestock, Aquaculture, and Fisheries

  • AI-based monitoring of animal health and behavior
  • Smart aquaculture and water quality management
  • Sustainable fisheries management and detection of illegal fishing

C. Food Processing and Quality Assurance

  • Automated quality inspection and product grading systems
  • Contaminant detection and food safety
  • Process optimization in food manufacturing
  • New food product development, including alternative proteins and functional foods

D. Supply Chain, Logistics, and Traceability

  • Demand forecasting and inventory management
  • Reduction of post-harvest and cold-chain food losses
  • AI-enabled traceability systems integrated with blockchain or IoT
  • Compliance with export standards and international trade requirements

E. Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability

  • Risk assessment and adaptation to drought, flooding, and extreme weather
  • Measurement and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and food production
  • Circular economy and valorization of agricultural waste
  • Monitoring of land use and deforestation

F. Inclusive Innovation and Policy

  • Low-cost AI technologies and mobile applications for smallholder farmers
  • AI-powered agricultural advisory systems in local languages
  • Digital platforms and market access for small-scale producers
  • Policy, data governance, and technology adoption among farmers

III. Submission link: click here

Please select the Track/Session: “AI-Driven Innovation for a Sustainable Global Food Hub (AI-SFH)” during submission.

IV. Session Organizers