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 AgroFood 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.
Working group
Participants work to identify opportunities and challenges and develop concrete plans for the application of AI. Six themes have been defined to work on, namely: AgroFood, Robotics, Autonomous Greenhouse, SmartFarming, SmartBreeding, Personalized Nutrition, and Food Processing. Participants of this working group can also develop use cases for the other NL AIC working groups, learning from each other and exchanging perspectives.
