International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is organizing a Workshop on “Cultivating tomorrow: Advancing digital agriculture through IoT and AI,” in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. This event will be hosted by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

The Workshop is scheduled to take place on 18 March 2024 at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), ICAR in the National Capital. The Workshop will be followed by the 9^th meeting of the ITU/FAO Focus Group on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture” (FG-AI4A) on 19 March 2024 at the same venue.

Around 200 delegates are expected to participate including international participants.  They will share their experiences in this emerging field, poised to bring a complete transformation in agriculture, often referred to as Agriculture 4.0. Participation is open to ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates, ITU Academia, and individuals from countries that are members of the ITU, as well as members of international, regional, and national organizations in hybrid mode.

With the growing world population and climate change posing challenges to traditional farming practices, leveraging technology becomes imperative for sustainable food production. The workshop will explore the application of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other cutting-edge technologies across the entire value chain of agriculture, from production to consumption, including post-harvest management and marketing. The workshop will delve into how these technologies can revolutionize agriculture by providing farmers with real-time data, predictive analytics and actionable insights.

Moreover, during the workshop, the Technical report on “Revolutionizing Agriculture: The Digital Transformation of Farming” will be released. This report will serve as a reference document for stakeholders of the agricultural sector, guiding decision-makers on harnessing the power of technology to drive sustainability, efficiency, and resilience in food production.

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DK/DK/SMP