Today, agriculture is at the forefront of a new revolution, where data and connectivity are key. Artificial intelligence, Data Sciences, connected sensors, and other emerging technologies could further increase yields, improve water efficiency and other inputs, and enhance the sustainability and resilience of crops and livestock.

Like Algeria, global food demand is increasing even as supply faces constraints in terms of land and agricultural inputs. The world population is set to reach 10 billion by 2050. By 2030, water supply is projected to fall 40% short of global water needs, and rising energy, labor, and nutrient costs are already squeezing profit margins. Additionally, there are growing environmental pressures, such as climate change, and societal pressures, including the push for more ethical and sustainable farming practices and reduced use of chemicals and water.

Algeria will be one of the countries most affected by climate change, and we are already beginning to feel it with significant water stress in recent years. 

To address these changes, agriculture must embrace digital transformation made possible by connectivity. Some solutions already exist to help farmers use resources more efficiently and sustainably. These new technologies can enhance decision-making, enabling better risk and variability management to optimize yields and improve the economy. 

In Algeria, startups like AITECH are contributing to this development and their implementation in the local context. We hope that they will become increasingly numerous to not only prevent our country from falling further behind but also to enable its agricultural sector to become the new engine of Algeria's economic development.

Intervention by Mr. Aib Mabrouk | Founding Partner of Aitech, winner of the Foodtech Startup Challenge 2021 

For more information, visit: https://ai-technologies.co/