India AI Summit Calls for Intelligent, Inclusive Food Systems Powered by AI

The session "AI for Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Food Systems" at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 spotlighted how artificial intelligence can help bridge one of the world's most persistent challenges — the gap between food production, distribution and access.

Bringing together global policymakers, researchers and digital governance experts, the session explored how data-driven agriculture, interoperable digital infrastructure and cross-border cooperation can enable climate resilience, strengthen supply chains and ensure farmers are fully integrated into emerging digital ecosystems.

Beyond Yields: Building Intelligent Food Systems

Speakers emphasised that the opportunity lies not only in increasing crop yields, but in building intelligent, connected food systems capable of:

• Responding to real-time demand

• Reducing post-harvest wastage

• Strengthening supply chain efficiency

• Expanding farmer access to markets

Achieving this transformation, they noted, requires interoperable data governance, transparent AI systems and strong partnerships between governments, industry and multilateral institutions.

Netherlands: AI as Strategic Tool for Sustainability and Stability

Harry Verweij, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, highlighted the strategic importance of AI-enabled agriculture for sustainability and national resilience.

He said rapid digital adoption in agriculture offers "clear opportunities to increase productivity and the sustainability of global food production, improve nature conservation, and foster climate resilience in an inclusive way."

Such advances, he added, ultimately contribute to "the autonomy and stability of nations."

FAO: Digital Exclusion Means Economic Exclusion

Dejan Jakovljević, Chief Information Officer and Director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), warned that digital exclusion now directly translates into economic and social exclusion.

If farmers or communities are left out of digital systems, he said, "they are effectively excluded from every ecosystem."

He stressed that the rise of AI makes it imperative to ensure "equal opportunity within our digital ecosystems," particularly for smallholders in developing regions.

NITI Frontier Hub: Solving Distribution Gaps at Scale

Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Frontier Hub, highlighted the structural imbalance in global food systems — where the world produces enough food, yet hunger and wastage persist due to logistics and access failures.

She underscored the need for industry-led scale and commercial viability.

The priority, she said, is to clearly define problem statements and create "a clear route to market and commercialization," including through dedicated Centres of Excellence and innovation hubs.

MIT: Transparency and Interoperability Critical for Trade and Trust

Sara Rendtorff Smith, Applied Research Lead for Data-driven Governance and AI Policy at MIT, stressed that scaling AI across global food supply chains requires transparent and interoperable governance frameworks.

"Farmers and regulators need transparency in how AI systems make their decisions," she said.

She noted that fragmented regulatory systems create complexity, and stronger interoperability is essential for enabling:

• Trade traceability

• Cross-border agricultural networks

• Resilient supply chains

From Productivity to Resilience and Equity

The session concluded that AI-driven agricultural systems must move beyond productivity gains to deliver:

• Climate-resilient farming practices

• Intelligent and responsive supply chains

• Inclusive market access for smallholders

• Reduced food loss and waste

By combining digital infrastructure, transparent governance, private-sector innovation and international cooperation, speakers affirmed that AI can help build food systems that are not only more efficient, but also more equitable and resilient.