AIM for Scale | AI for Agriculture

Problem areas in the agricultural sector and the role of AI

November 10, 2026

This document identifies problem areas facing the agricultural sector that AI could help address to improve crop and livestock productivity, farm income and returns, the resilience of the aforementioned areas to shocks, and food safety in low- and middle-income countries.

The five problem areas below organize the evidence compiled so far. Each is developed through concrete subcategories; their importance and the contribution of AI depend on the setting.

Five problem areas, definitions, subcategories and illustrative AI use cases
Problem area	Definition	Subcategories	AI use cases
1. Biophysical hazards and resource base IPCC (2022), Food, Fibre and Other Ecosystem Products — Chapter 5 of Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. See the executive summary and §5.2. Assesses how climatic extremes, pests and diseases, and pressures on soil and water threaten agricultural production and livelihoods. It also addresses food safety. Identifies particular vulnerability among small-scale producers and low-income populations.	The natural conditions under which farming takes place.	1. Weather and climate Heat, drought, floods and rainfall timing affecting production. 2. Crop pests and diseases Biological damage to crops before and after harvest. 3. Livestock health and welfare Disease, stress and adverse conditions affecting animal performance. 4. Soil fertility Nutrient deficiencies, acidity and degradation that limit production. 5. Water Scarcity, unreliable access and inefficient use of water. 6. Food safety Biological and chemical contamination of food and feed. 7. Postharvest losses Spoilage and damage during handling, storage and transport.	1.Forecast monsoon onset to inform planting decisions. (Aitken et al., 2026) 2.Recognize cassava disease symptoms from smartphone photos. (Mrisho et al., 2020) 3.Monitor poultry welfare by classifying chicken vocalizations. (Srinivasagan et al., 2025) 4.Predict soil nutrient distributions from field observations and spatial data. (Hengl et al., 2017) 5.Schedule irrigation using predictions of root-zone soil moisture. (Kusemererwa, 2025) 6.Predict maize aflatoxin risk using satellite and environmental data. (Gachoki et al., 2025) 7.Detect poultry meat spoilage from spectral images and sensor readings. (Jia et al., 2026)
2. Information and knowledge FAO (2014), The State of Food and Agriculture: Innovation in Family Farming — Chapter 5, especially p. 73. Identifies widespread gaps in farmers’ access to information and advice, particularly among smaller farms and women. Explains how agricultural knowledge and advisory services help farmers improve management and close productivity gaps in low- and middle-income countries.	Whether producers can anticipate and respond.	1. Agronomic and husbandry advice Practical guidance suited to local production conditions. 2. Diagnosis Identifying symptoms, distinguishing causes and seeking appropriate help. 3. Price and market information Knowing prices, demand, grades and buyer requirements.	1.Answer farmers’ agronomic questions through multilingual, voice-enabled advice. (Singh et al., 2024) 2.Help farmers identify cassava disease symptoms using phone images. (Mrisho et al., 2020) 3.Forecast produce prices across markets using historical price data. (Ma et al., 2018)
3. Finance IFAD (2021), Inclusive Rural Finance Policy — pp. 1–2, paragraphs 4–6. Documents unmet financial needs among smallholders and explains why access to credit, savings, insurance and payments matters for farm investment, income and resilience to shocks.	Whether producers can invest and absorb shocks.	1. Liquidity and credit Financing inputs and investments before farm receipts arrive. 2. Savings Retaining proceeds for seasonal and larger expenditures. 3. Insurance and risk sharing Protection against losses through reliable coverage and payouts.	1.Assess creditworthiness using satellite-based estimates of plot productivity. (Kramer et al., 2025) 2.Example to identify. 3.Bundle satellite-informed lending with crop insurance for marginal farmers. (Kramer et al., 2025)
4. Markets and transaction costs FAO (2020), The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets: Agricultural Markets and Sustainable Development—Global Value Chains, Smallholder Farmers and Digital Innovations — Parts 3–4. Explains how high information and transaction costs leave agricultural markets thin or missing in many developing countries. Covers smallholders’ difficulties finding trading partners, meeting quality requirements and participating in value chains, alongside market power and bargaining issues.	Whether producers can access markets and capture returns.	1. Access and matching Finding inputs, buyers and services at manageable transaction costs. 2. Quality verification Checking input authenticity and product quality before trading. 3. Competition and bargaining Market conditions determining how trading gains are shared. 4. Contracts and payment Reliable delivery, acceptance and payment commitments.	1.Match crop buyers and sellers using price, quantity and location. (Newman et al., 2018) 2.Screen maize kernels for mycotoxin contamination using spectral classification. (Stasiewicz et al., 2017) 3.Suggest transaction prices using market-clearing algorithms. (Newman et al., 2018) 4.Example to identify.
5. Institutions and public delivery World Bank (2007), Strengthening Governance to Support Agriculture — two-page policy brief accompanying World Development Report 2008. Directly identifies weak governance and agricultural institutions as obstacles, especially in agriculture-based countries. Covers public delivery capacity, research, rural roads, property rights, contract enforcement, agricultural statistics and political stability.	The enabling environment and channels for public delivery.	1. Extension capacity Staff, skills and channels needed to deliver useful advice. 2. Land rights Secure access and use rights supporting investment in land. 3. Infrastructure and connectivity Transport, power and communications needed for farming and services. 4. Public data systems Reliable, maintained agricultural data available for appropriate use. 5. Conflict and service continuity Insecurity and displacement interrupting production and public services.	1.Draft and voice agronomic messages for extension services. (Precision Development, 2026) 2.Delineate visible parcel boundaries from aerial imagery for land administration. (Crommelinck et al., 2019) 3.Run crop-disease recognition offline where connectivity is limited. (Mrisho et al., 2020) 4.Produce soil nutrient maps as shared agricultural information. (Hengl et al., 2017) 5.Forecast food-crisis risks using prices, weather and conflict data. (Andrée et al., 2020)