Imagine two scenarios. In the first, an existing AI chatbot is integrated into a mobile agricultural extension app. Farmers ask questions and receive instant responses. In the second, something more ambitious occurs: a custom chatbot is built from the ground up using local soil data, climate patterns, and indigenous knowledge.
From February 24th to 26th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kenya, in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, hosted a workshop at the KALRO Headquarters, Kiboko, to validate and refine a Nature-Based Solutions Monitoring and Evaluation Framework tool, developed under the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency project.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and the County Government of Kisumu have formalized a strategic partnership to advance climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable food systems, and biodiversity conservation in Kenya. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focuses on scaling innovative solutions—such as community seed banks, landscape restoration, and resilient crop systems—to address climate change, land degradation, and food insecurity. By combining scientific expertise with county leadership, the collaboration aims to strengthen farmer livelihoods, enhance seed systems, and drive sustainable development across Kisumu County.
In low-income settings, poverty and mental health are often locked in a vicious cycle.
As climate pressures intensify across food, land, and water systems, AI presents an opportunity to keep pace for agricultural research. But only if institutions are prepared to change with it. Here, we identify four priorities to make this happen.
Opinion piece by Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics