ITU & FAO Workshop Explores IoT and AI's Role in Advancing Smart Agriculture

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized a crucial Workshop on "Cultivating Tomorrow: Advancing Digital Agriculture through IoT and AI," in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This significant event was hosted by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, India, along with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), operating under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, India.

Scheduled for 18 March 2024, the workshop will be held in New Delhi, India. Following the workshop, the 9th meeting of FG-AI4A will convene on March 19, 2024, at the same venue.

In light of the growing global population and the escalating challenges posed by climate change to conventional farming practices, the integration of technology has become indispensable for ensuring sustainable food production. The primary objective of this Workshop is to delve into the current discourse surrounding the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other state-of-the-art technologies to streamline agricultural processes such as harvesting, weed detection, irrigation, and pest identification.

Key stakeholders and experts will come together to explore how these innovative technologies can potentially revolutionize the agricultural sector. By providing farmers with access to real-time data, predictive analytics, and actionable insights, the Workshop aims to empower them with the tools necessary to optimize crop yields and mitigate risks associated with climate variability.

The event promises to be a platform for fruitful discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among various stakeholders in the agriculture and technology sectors.

Through such initiatives, the ITU, FAO, and their partners strive to foster a conducive environment for the adoption and implementation of cutting-edge technologies in agriculture, thereby contributing to global food security and sustainable development goals.