UAE and Bill Gates unveil agricultural solutions

On 21 November 2024, the UAE hosted an event where Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with Mariam Almehiri, Head of International Affairs at the UAE Presidential Court, discussed the future of technology in agriculture. The meeting showcased solutions powered by artificial intelligence and aimed at revolutionising agricultural practices around the world.

The event was held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi and follows a partnership announced during the COP28 Climate Change Summit in December 2023.

The collaboration emphasises the need to address food security and climate adaptation for vulnerable agricultural communities. The main objective remains to find innovative solutions for smallholder farmers in developing countries.

One of the projects presented was an innovation to combat the red palm beetle, which causes US$2 billion in losses annually in 49 countries. Tarifa Al Zaabi, Director General of the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, noted that this pest destroys healthy palm trees in six months.

The project is looking at advanced technologies such as gel traps and drones for early detection of the pest. Drones can identify infected palm trees to help focus efforts on the most affected areas.

Also presented at the event was the AgriLLM project, which aims to adapt open language models like Falcon to improve agricultural research. AgriLLM aims to transform complex agricultural information into accessible advice for farmers and professionals.

The project aims to bridge the gap between research and practical advice for farmers, especially in low and middle income states where access to agricultural advice is often limited.

These initiatives reflect a broader desire to harness the benefits of AI and modern technology to address pressing issues in agriculture, from pest management to raising awareness among farmers around the world.

Source: The National