FAO has called for putting artificial intelligence at the service of rural areas.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to become a powerful tool for the development of the agro-industrial complex, but its benefits should not be concentrated exclusively in cities and technologically advanced countries. This statement was made by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Qu Dongyu, calling for AI to be made accessible to farmers, livestock breeders, and rural communities worldwide, reports FAO.org. For Kazakhstan, this discussion is particularly relevant against the backdrop of growing interest in the digitalization of agriculture and the adoption of precision farming technologies.

The gist

·        FAO believes that AI should serve the development of rural areas, not exacerbate the digital divide.

·        The organization warns of the risk of deepening the urban-rural gap.

·        An international roadmap for integrating AI into agrifood systems is already being implemented.

·        It is important for Kazakhstan not only to import technologies but also to develop its own digital solutions for the agro-industrial complex.

The digital revolution comes to agriculture

Speaking at an international symposium in Rome, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu noted that artificial intelligence is already changing economies, governance systems, and agrifood chains worldwide. According to him, the question today is not whether AI will be used in agriculture, but who will be able to access these technologies.

FAO is particularly concerned about the risk of widening the digital divide between urban and rural areas. If new technologies remain accessible only to large corporations and developed regions, this could exacerbate existing inequalities and limit opportunities for millions of farmers.

“The digital divide will become even wider if technologies do not serve rural populations,” emphasized Qu Dongyu.

FAO bets on agricultural AI

The organization is already implementing the Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap program, aimed at integrating artificial intelligence into agrifood systems. Currently, AI technologies are being tested in coffee production chains, farmer advisory services, horticulture, soil management, and microbiome management.

According to FAO estimates, such solutions can increase productivity, reduce product losses, improve resource use, and make agriculture more resilient to climate change.

What this means for Kazakhstan

For Kazakhstan, the development of agricultural AI could become one of the key factors in enhancing the competitiveness of its agriculture. The country already faces a shortage of qualified personnel in rural areas, climate risks, water scarcity, and the need to increase crop yields without significantly expanding arable land.

This is precisely where artificial intelligence can have the greatest impact. This includes crop yield forecasting systems, satellite-based crop monitoring, irrigation management, soil fertility analysis, and animal health monitoring.

However, there is another side to the issue. Today, most digital solutions for the agro-industrial complex are developed outside of Kazakhstan. This means dependence on foreign platforms, algorithms, and data providers. In the long term, such dependence could prove to be as critical as dependence on imported seeds, machinery, or plant protection products.

Who will benefit from the new technological wave

FAO believes that smallholder farmers, fishers, pastoralists, and other rural producers should be the primary beneficiaries of AI adoption. They are the ones who most often face limited access to knowledge, financing, and modern technologies.

The organization also emphasizes that artificial intelligence should not replace humans.

“We cannot eat artificial intelligence. Technology should help people, not replace them,” stated the FAO Director-General.

According to the organization's experts, the future of agriculture will be built on a combination of human knowledge, digital technologies, an ecological approach, and collective resource management.

Author's conclusion

The FAO statement shows that the global discussion on artificial intelligence is gradually shifting from technology issues to issues of access and equitable distribution of benefits. This is especially important for Kazakhstan. If the digitalization of the agro-industrial complex is reduced solely to the purchase of foreign solutions, the country risks remaining a consumer of technologies. However, if AI development becomes part of its own agricultural strategy, Kazakhstan can use digital transformation as a tool to enhance food security, production efficiency, and the sustainability of rural areas.