How AI Can Improve Global Food Security

Lately, there has been much debate surrounding the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in response to the emergence of things such as social media algorithms, facial recognition and the possibility of job automation, which has generated widespread unease. Consequently, institutions, organisations, and the general public are endeavouring to grapple with these intricate problems and find solutions.

In the areas of agriculture and food distribution, AI is currently making a positive impact. Utilizing AI can enhance the complete food production process, starting from planning, harvesting, processing, packing and distribution. The advantages of using AI include better precision in weather forecasting, optimized management of water resources, and a possibility to alleviate hunger. These benefits tangibly demonstrate how AI can transform and innovate food production.

The impact of AI on the global agricultural industry is gaining tremendous momentum, a sector estimated to be worth trillions of dollars and expanding rapidly to caters to the growing population requirements. In this article, we shall investigate potential future AI implementations.

Statistical Analysis within Agriculture

Farmers can employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help them in keeping a check on the well-being, nutrient and moisture content of their crops. This can be highly advantageous for indoor growers, enabling them to make preemptive adjustments in the soil quality, water, and lighting conditions even before any external appearance of damage. This approach could further contribute towards minimising the need for pesticides.

Farmers are now making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a diverse array of ways, which includes identifying the most advantageous planting locations based on ecological factors such as temperature, soil quality and erosion levels. This is a further illustration of the innovative methods through which AI is helping the agricultural sector.

Food Production in Confined Spaces

Farmers have historically wielded some authority over weather and lighting conditions. With indoor farming progressively gaining momentum, this grip is transforming into an impactful role. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is contributing to the development of “crop recipes” that are optimized for expedited growth and multiple harvest cycles. In comparison to traditional outdoor farming, AI-assisted indoor farming has shown increased yield production per acre and notable reduction in water consumption.

Indoor farming has the capability to address and mitigate concerns such as food insecurity in urban regions. Regions that are identified as “food deserts,” i.e., areas that have limited access to nutritious food and thus often results in shorter life spans, can be accurately identified by utilizing AI tools and apps, such as crowdsourcing.

Once identified, these locations are prime candidates for indoor agricultural operations, such as vertical farms that grow upwards rather than outwards. Vertical farming systems have a significant potential to produce fresh food throughout the year for food deserts and other regions. Please view the following news report that explains how vertical farming works.

Generating Innovative Foods

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), scientists are working towards fortifying soil quality, crop yields, and the overall food supply. Continuously cultivating the same crop in the same area may lead to soil nutrient exhaustion. Additionally, faster-growing crops may have a lower nutrient density. By developing strategies to address these issues using AI, scientists can unveil plant-based nutrients that were previously unknown to us.

Sales of chilled plant-based beef have surged by 125% in recent years, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being utilized in circumstances where meat production is environmentally detrimental or financially unattainable. AI-assisted alternative proteins are being developed with equivalent taste, texture and nutritional value. These proteins can originate from various sources, including plants, insects, lab-grown meat and mushrooms. The World Economic Forum predicts that this trend will continue to gain momentum.

Forecasting the Weather

Having knowledge of the anticipated weather conditions is crucial for farmers to plan effectively, such as prioritizing the optimal time to sow seeds, a critical factor for the success of outdoor farming procedures. To bolster the accuracy of weather predictions, Artificial Intelligence can be incorporated into an assortment of technologies such as weather stations, sensors, and portable devices.

These systems can predict a variety of common weather patterns, such as temperature, humidity, and sunshine levels. They can also forecast the occurrence of catastrophic events such as tornadoes, hurricanes and lightning strikes, which can have profound and destructive consequences.

Artificial Intelligence-Controlled Robots

AI-run robots have the ability to provide more economical and effective substitutes to human labourers for farming operations like weeding and harvesting. For instance, autonomous mini robots can be reprogrammed to work with various crops. Additionally, agricultural machinery such as tractors can perform the same functions, albeit on a larger scale.

Self-piloted drones are capable of monitoring crop health and identifying any indications of disease, as well as administering essential pesticides.

Secure Food Supply

Without immediate intervention, the escalation of worldwide food scarcity challenges will likely persist as the global population is anticipated to reach 10 billion by 2050. It is essential to adopt a meticulous and systematic approach when initiating research and analysis. Artificial Intelligence can facilitate the process of extracting useful insights from existing research and implementing them towards developing effective tools.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can aid in forecasting food supply challenges. By enabling researchers to observe real-time market disruptions, weather patterns, and crop failures, AI empowers response teams to promptly access alternative food sources if required.

Crop diseases have a profound impact on food security and are a significant problem that can potentially be tackled with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This issue results in significant harvest losses annually. AI provides more accurate and rapid diagnoses of agricultural diseases, facilitating the implementation of preventive measures. Compared to human diagnosis, which is usually dependent on subjectivity, costly, and time-intensive, AI is a preferred alternative.

Understanding Agriculture

According to the California Review of Management, the technological developments that enable farmers to acquire more data from their fields is known as “agricultural intelligence”. This intelligence has enabled farmers to gain a deeper comprehension of the factors that affect their crops, enabling them to accurately harvest and maintain their crops, and to prepare more effectively for possible harm from storms or other hazards.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has widespread applications, benefiting not just farmers and those in the agriculture industry, but humanity as a whole. AI is enhancing health and productivity for people. While its implementation in various fields may pose potential issues, the beneficial impact of AI in agriculture is becoming increasingly apparent.

Join the Top 1% of Remote Developers and Designers

Works connects the top 1% of remote developers and designers with the leading brands and startups around the world. We focus on sophisticated, challenging tier-one projects which require highly skilled talent and problem solvers.
seasoned project manager reviewing remote software engineer's progress on software development project, hired from Works blog.join_marketplace.your_wayexperienced remote UI / UX designer working remotely at home while working on UI / UX & product design projects on Works blog.join_marketplace.freelance_jobs