Artificial Intelligence in Agri & Food
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has an impact on the Agri & Food sector in how agriculture is executed as well as on the consumption of food. Digitisation of the production, trade and consumption of food offers opportunities to use AI for more efficient and sustainable food systems. The Dutch AgroFood sector not only has an international focus but is also a world leader in the field of digitisation. The production, trade and logistics of agricultural products such as flowers, vegetables and seeds are of the highest level, partly due to digitisation. Digitisation is already a crucial part of the infrastructure that enables innovation in the Agri & Food sector.
In the greenhouse horticulture sector, more and more actions done by humans are being replaced by robots, which AI is making smarter and smarter. In time, greenhouses are expected to produce food and ornamental horticulture autonomously. In arable and animal farming, AI is becoming increasingly important in providing decision support: how do I optimally use crop protection? With good animal care, can I administer less preventive medication to livestock? These questions are increasingly being answered with AI technology.AI is a promising technique for the production and consumption of food, which can be used to prevent food allergies or eating disorders (obesity), for example. With AI, the dietary pattern is better tuned to the individual characteristics of the consumer and healthcare costs can be, as a result, reduced.
These opportunities to apply AI also bring social challenges. Think of the protection of consumers’ privacy and the shift in employment caused by AI. Digitisation is already a crucial part of the infrastructure that enables innovation in the Dutch Agri & Food sector. Globally, we see that considerable investments are being made in AI. Participants of the trade mission will work to identify opportunities and challenges and develop concrete plans for the application of AI.
THE FOLLOWING THEMES HAVE BEEN DEFINED TO WORK ON DURING THE INNOVATION MISSION:
• Data sharing
• Autonomous Greenhouses
• Food Processing
• Robotics
— Smart Farming
— Smart Breeding
— Personalized Nutrition
