Global Initiative on AI for Agri-Food Systems (GI-AI4FS)

• The second meeting of GI-AI4FS was held on 10 October 2026 in New Delhi, alongside India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026.
• It was hosted by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, jointly with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• The meeting focused on the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to transform agriculture and food systems.

Key Prelims Pointers

• Nature: United Nations global initiative.
• Coordinator: International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Collaborating UN agencies:
  • FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization.
  • IFAD — International Fund for Agricultural Development.
  • WFP — World Food Programme.
• Announced: AI for Good Global Summit, July 2025.
• First meeting: 18 June 2026, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
• Second meeting: 10 October 2026, New Delhi, India.
• Main objective: Promote responsible AI and digital technologies to improve agricultural productivity, food security, sustainability and resilience.

Applications of AI in Agriculture

• Precision agriculture: Optimises water, fertilisers and pesticides according to field conditions.
• Crop disease detection: AI analyses images and sensor data to identify diseases at an early stage.
• Weather forecasting: Helps farmers plan sowing, irrigation and harvesting.
• Smart irrigation: IoT sensors monitor soil moisture and support efficient water use.
• Satellite and drone monitoring: Tracks crop health, vegetation and agricultural stress.
• Supply-chain management: Improves food traceability, logistics and storage while reducing post-harvest losses.
• Farmer-centric AI: Develops accessible, trustworthy and interoperable tools suited to farmers’ needs.

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

• Established: 1865, originally as the International Telegraph Union.
• UN specialised agency: Since 1947.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Field: Information and communication technologies (ICTs).
• Key role: International cooperation on telecommunications, connectivity and ICT standards.
• Important distinction: ITU coordinates GI-AI4FS; FAO, IFAD and WFP collaborate with it on the initiative.

Q. Consider the following statements about GI-AI4FS:

1. It is a UN global initiative.

2. It promotes AI and IoT applications in agriculture.

 3. It is coordinated by the World Bank.

Which are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 2 only

C. 2 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The initiative is coordinated by ITU, not the World Bank.

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