Page 10 - Digital Agriculture: A Standards Snapshot

Executive Summary

The Digital Agriculture: A Standards Snapshot details the progress and milestones of the ITU/
FAO Focus Group on AI and IoT for Digital Agriculture (FG-AI4A), which was established in
October 2021. The FG-AI4A was created as an open platform for discussing the integration
of AI and IoT technologies in agriculture with the aim of laying the groundwork for technical
standardization. FG-AI4A’s key achievements include developing a comprehensive glossary of
digital agriculture terminology, mapping the current landscape of standardization, formulating
best practices and guidelines, and data modelling framework for digital agriculture.
FG-AI4A's work focussed on the ethical considerations surrounding AI and IoT in agriculture,
with a particular emphasis on data privacy, and transparency. This was explored in the context
of the European Union’s AI Act, the Rome Call for AI Ethics and the United Nations Resolution
on AI to encourage responsible innovation and ethical AI deployment in agricultural.

The Focus Group has organized several meetings, webinars and workshops, engaging over
300 experts across diverse fields.

The efforts of FG-AI4A mark a pivotal advancement in the standardization of AI and digital
technologies in agriculture. By addressing standardization gaps, promoting for the ethical use
of technology, and prioritizing data quality and integration, the group is charting a course for the
future of digital agriculture. These efforts are geared towards enhancing agricultural production
practices, overall productivity and efficiency while ensuring sustainability and resilience.

The collaboration between the ITU and FAO in standards-making brings together a blend of
expertise that enhances the quality and relevance of outputs of FG-AI4A. ITU's institutional
knowledge in standardization, telecommunications and digital technologies, coupled with
FAO's extensive experience in digitalization and transformation of agri-food systems, creates a
unique synergy that would make it possible to address both technical and sector-specific needs.

This partnership has ensured that the standards developed would not only be technologically
sound but also practical and globally applicable, while leveraging the global influence of these
organizations in achieving widespread adoption and implementation of these standards for
digital agriculture. These standards are also envisioned to promote innovation, and contribute
to global food security in line with Sustainable Development Goal 2.

xi