About FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.
Activities by FAO
Focus Group on AI and IoT for Digital Agriculture (FG-AI4A)
GlobalThis Focus Group explored the potential of AI and IoT for digital agriculture, focusing on data acquisition, modeling, and communication for optimizing agricultural production processes. It concluded its work in 2024.
Activity Type Research/Reports/AssessmentsPolicy/Regulatory Guidance2025 Geo-AI Challenge
Global Russian FederationUzbekistan
Satellite imagery with increasingly high spatial and temporal resolution is now widely available, and one of its most common applications in agricultural monitoring is the identification of cropland extent. Although a large body of research has focused on cropland mapping using satellite observations, accurate mapping in arid and semi-arid regions remains a major technical challenge because cropland is often difficult to distinguish from pasture and steppe.
The 2025 Challenge selected “Cropland Mapping in Dry Environments” as its central theme and invited data scientists, researchers, and AI practitioners to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Two pilot regions, Fergana (Uzbekistan) and Orenburg (Russia), were chosen because they contain representative pasture and steppe landscapes. The challenge was hosted on the Zindi platform, which connects a global community of data scientists.
During the submission period from July 2 to September 25, 2025, a total of 173 valid submissions were received. The accuracies of these submissions ranged from 53% to 91%. The top 10 entries on the leaderboard were selected for further evaluation based on both classification performance and model novelty, and the top three submissions in the second-round evaluation were ultimately awarded prizes.
AI@RLC Copilot EmpowerLab
Latin America and the Caribbean ChileThis activity consists of a practical AI adoption cycle focused on Microsoft Copilot, implemented within FAO’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC). It includes a structured in-person training program delivered through three core sessions plus one follow-up session, emphasizing the application of AI in real work scenarios. Participants develop practical capabilities such as building a personal library of structured prompts, designing shared team resources, and deploying at least one personal-use AI agent. The initiative represents Phase 1 of a broader adoption roadmap and is designed to be replicable across country offices in the region.
Activity Type Trainings/WorkshopsToolkit on Digital Transformation for People-Oriented Cities and Communities
Global Not ApplicableA comprehensive guide designed to help cities and communities leverage digital technologies for sustainable development. The toolkit, developed with 13 UN entities, provides practical strategies and tools through 12 modules covering topics from governance to smart manufacturing.
Activity Type Research/Reports/AssessmentsPolicy/Regulatory GuidanceAwareness/Advocacy