In line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Digital project, Google has announced the establishment of a new AI research centre to fight food shortages in Africa.
While reducing food insecurity is undoubtedly a top issue, towering inflation rates and increasing debt have worsened the food situation in Africa. The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises Mid-Year Update estimates that 140 million people in Africa suffer from severe food insecurity and that at least one in five Africans go to bed hungry.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing ongoing drought, and in nations that import wheat and sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine, prices have skyrocketed beyond the means of the average person.
The SDG Digital project has received financial, strategic, and operational commitments from the UN, the corporate sector, finance bodies, international organizations, and charity foundations to help the SDGs get back on track.
To combat food insecurity in Africa, Google is opening an AI center. As part of its Global Goals Impact Challenge on AI for the SDGs, Google is also financing 15 AI projects totaling $25 million, including ones in Kenya and South Africa.
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Additionally, significant commitments have been made by the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA), Google, Microsoft, Millicom, Telenor, ZTE, the Republic of Korea, and the Government of Saudi Arabia to advance universal and meaningful connectivity as well as long-term digital transformation.
Making better crop inputs before seeds are sown is the earliest stage of the agricultural lifecycle that AI can enhance and lessen food shortages in Africa.
CRISPR, a distinct discovery created in a different business, may, for instance, be used to make more durable, high-yield seeds. AI is being used by businesses to increase speed and effectiveness. Because many crops have such complicated genetic makeups—for example, corn contains 32,000 genes, compared to 20,000 in humans—AI is a crucial tool for researchers trying to comprehend the impacts of multiple gene editing.
With this program, Google may now increase crop yields while using less water and other inputs. As the world’s population rises and farming is made more challenging by natural disasters like droughts, which are made worse by climate change, it is imperative to increase the yields of key crops like corn, soy, and wheat.
At the launch of the SDG Digital, Amina J. Mohammed, the deputy secretary-general of the UN, said that digital technologies, when used safely and responsibly, can be catalysts of economic, social, and societal transformation by creating efficiencies at scale and expanding the reach of existing solutions to support more people.
Farmers and the agriculture sector have long used technology from other industries to advance farming methods and supply safe, wholesome food at reasonable prices to a growing global population. Hopefully, Google’s recent initiative can be a massive improvement in Agricultural yields in Africa.
