South Korea this month became the latest country to unveil new plans around integrating AI into agriculture, joining recent national initiatives from India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia to help farmers navigate climate change, the impacts of war, trade tensions, and unpredictable supply chains.
South Korea's ambitions come in the form of the Agriculture and Rural Artificial Intelligence Transformation (AX) strategy, announced jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT. The plan aims to make AI more accessible to growers of all sizes by expanding smart farm models to small- and mid-sized operations, in addition to large enterprises. Shared machinery centers, "smart" processing centers, and AI-based livestock grading tools are also in the works.
"AI is no longer a choice but a core foundation that will determine the survival and future competitiveness of agriculture and rural communities," Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said. "We will make 2026 a starting point for agricultural AX to overcome challenges such as climate change and a rapidly aging population."
South Korea's ambitions extend beyond the field, too. It also aims to become one of the world's top biotech economies by 2030, and has a framework in place to support the industry's growth. Earlier this year, the country said it would merge its National Bio Committee and Biohealth Innovation Committee, and launch new plans to boost biotechnology innovation.
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