This IDASF 2025 hybrid-format global gathering—organized by the FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific—featured more than 100 high-level experts, including representatives from government, agrifood organizations, UN agencies, development institutions, and private-sector innovators. Co-sponsored by ADB, IFAD, CGIAR-IITA, and ITU.
Over the course of three days, participants from over 50 countries—totaling nearly 400 attendees—immensely contributed to discussions on how AI, mobile platforms, satellite data, and other digital solutions are reshaping agriculture.
Sessions highlighted innovations such as climate-smart crop practices, drone-powered rice farming that reduces water use and methane emissions, AI-enhanced fisheries management, non-intrusive meat spoilage detection via spectroscopy, and digital traceability systems to curb deforestation.
Additional insights surfaced on digital finance, inclusive advisory services like Digital Green’s Farmer.Chat, and the critical need for farmer-centric design, policy support, and institutional frameworks underpinning sustainable digital transformation in agriculture. FAO pledged to consolidate and disseminate insights gained from the Forum to further guide digital ecosystems across agrifood systems.
Extracts of the programme
03/09 Plenary session 1. Large scale and Impactful digital initiatives in agrifood
This session showcased some of the most successful, and highly impactful digital initiatives applied to agrifood systems. The High-Level Panel consisted of a cross section covering government, private sector, research centers, NGOS and youth champions.
- Anindya Banerjee, Adviser, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of
- India (virtual)
- Ziad bin Abdullah Al-Zaidi, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Water and
- Agriculture, Saudi Arabia
- Yukti Sharma, KUZA Biashara Limited - “Scaling digital ecosystems to empower rural youth and smallholders in Africa and Asia”
03/09 Plenary session 2. Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence country strategies: Emerging challenges, opportunities and country priorities
AI transformative impact on agrifood cut across multiple areas from precision farming and optimal
resource use, supply chain optimization, disease detection, robotics and automation, food safety, climate resilience, and data-based decision making. increased farming efficiency, reduced waste, and enhanced sustainability. Many countries are grappling with the disruptive impact of AI tools, software’s and fast-paced non-regulated use of AI in many domains requiring strategic approaches to AI use, applications, regulations, and risk management. Many countries are recalibrating their digital strategies with AI specific strategies and are seeking support, knowledge sharing and exchange among multiple stakeholders.
04/09 Plenary Session 3: Breaking Down Digital Divide: Models and Initiatives on Last Mile Digital Infrastructure
This session highlighted the urgent need to close digital gaps that prevent rural farmers from accessing agricultural innovations, with speakers presenting successful models of extending affordable broadband, mobile connectivity, and digital services to remote areas. The session emphasized public–private partnerships, community-based networks, and innovative financing mechanisms as key drivers for delivering last-mile infrastructure, while underscoring the importance of inclusive design, gender equity, and capacity building to ensure that smallholders, especially women and youth, are not left behind in the digital transformation of agriculture.
04/09 Plenary Session 4: Data as foundation of digital transformation: Data development, access, ownership, and governance
agriculture, enabling smarter decision-making and more resilient food systems. Panelists discussed challenges of data fragmentation, interoperability, and trust, while highlighting the need for clear governance frameworks that protect farmers’ rights, ensure equitable ownership and benefit-sharing, and promote open yet secure data flows. The session showcased emerging initiatives in digital public goods, open data platforms, and farmer-centric data stewardship models, stressing that inclusive policies and strong institutions are essential to unlock the full value of data-driven agricultural transformation.
05/09 Plenary Session 5: Scaling Up Digital Innovations Through Investments and Partnerships- Examples of Impactful Initiatives
This session focused on how collaborative financing, cross-sector alliances, and enabling policy environments can accelerate the uptake of digital agriculture solutions at scale. Speakers showcased successful initiatives in mobile advisory services, digital finance, precision farming, and traceability systems, illustrating how strategic investments and strong partnerships have translated innovations into measurable impact for smallholder farmers. The session emphasized that sustained scaling requires not only capital and technology, but also inclusive business models, capacity development, and alignment with national strategies, ensuring that digital transformation in agriculture delivers widespread, equitable, and lasting benefits.
05/09 Plenary Session 6: Initiatives in Digital Public Infrastructure, Interoperability, and Data Governance
This session examined how robust digital public infrastructure and harmonized data systems can drive inclusive and resilient digital agriculture. Experts highlighted examples of interoperable platforms, open-source tools, and cross-border data-sharing frameworks that enable farmers, governments, and private actors to collaborate more effectively. The session emphasized the importance of trust, accountability, and transparent governance in managing agricultural data, while showcasing policy and institutional innovations that safeguard farmer rights, enhance interoperability across systems, and ensure digital ecosystems remain accessible and sustainable for all stakeholders.
05/09 Plenary Session 7: Role of academia in powering digital innovations in agrifood: Examples of impactful initiatives and successful partnerships
This roundtable offered a space for dialogue between academic experts and share experiences of cross-sector collaborations from different countries highlighting successful examples of rural transformation fostered through digital advances.
- Lesly Goh, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign/SIGMA, Southeast Asia Innovation Alliance for a Global Model of Agri-Food Systems - “Southeast Asia Innovation Alliance for a Global Model of Agri-Food Systems”
- Salah Sukkarieh, University of Sydney Australia - “Highlights from the work on Digital Farmhand and women farmers support farmers in the Mekong region.”
- Jae Gwan Kim, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea - “Role of universities in research partnerships to develop and deploy digital technologies, student education, and resource sharing”
- Zeyad Abdullah Alzeyadi, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia - “Saudi Alliance for Agricultural Technologies.”
- Siva Kumar Balasundram, Head and Professor, Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universit Putra Malaysia - “ASEAN University Network Universities and government collaboration to enhance farmers’ digital literacy and private sector engagement.”
Thematic sessions
- 1.1: Digital and AI innovations in weather forecasting and agrometeorology
- 1.2: Digital tools in sustainable, climate-smart rice production systems
- 1.3: Digital innovations for sustainable livestock management
- 1.4: Digital innovations and technologies in water management, aquaculture and capture fisheries
- 1.5: Digital Innovations for Sustainable Forestry Management
Digital Innovations in Agri-food Supply Chains and Food Environment
- 2.1: Digital innovations in food safety, standards, and traceability
- 2.2: Digital technologies and innovations in waste management, renewable energy and circular economy
Digital Innovations for Inclusive Rural Transformation
- 3.1: Innovations in digital rural extension, education and advisory services
In this session participants explored how digital tools are reshaping the way farmers and rural communities access knowledge, training, and support. The session highlighted mobile-based advisory platforms, e-learning tools, AI-driven chatbots, and community radio–digital hybrids that deliver timely, localized, and actionable information on farming practices, climate risks, and market opportunities. Speakers stressed the importance of designing these innovations with farmer-centric approaches, local language content, and gender-sensitive delivery models, ensuring that smallholders, women, and youth benefit equally. The session also underscored that sustained success depends on blended extension models, integrating digital platforms with human facilitators and strong institutional backing, to bridge capacity gaps and foster inclusive rural transformation. - 3.2: Inclusive digital rural finance and fintech applications in farming and agribusiness
- 3.3: Youth Champions, Agritech startup founders and innovators: Youth voices and perspectives from the ground
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