From farm to table, or farm to fork?  The buzzy concepts are not as simple as they sound, especially in developing nations where food is scarce, climate change is hitting hard, and populations are growing exponentially. Add limited global access to technology, voracious pests, aggressive weeds, and burgeoning fungi, and the problem, at first glance, feels almost insurmountable.

However, with new technologies like AI advancing, the burden of these challenges can be eased. We have an obligation to use AI for good whenever and wherever we can. We can tackle these challenges to the global food supply, and we must.

As member of the World Economic Forum community, an appointed member of WEF’s Food Innovators Network, Enko has been fortunate to have met passionate change makers who are championing the food systems challenge and working together to catalyze change and improve the network globally.  Lack of food is truly the desperate mother of invention.

Yes, problem simplified, but starting at the top left of the illustration above, you can get a sense of the vision behind the Food Innovation Hubs global initiative and the Food Innovators Network, the diversity and depth of the challenges and the innovation, collaboration, and technology that will be called on to solve. AI is expected to lead the charge in many categories.

Enko meets the map above with AI informed agricultural R&D that can quickly sort vast chemical space to create sustainable chemistry designs. This can help keep weeds, insects and disease away, maximizing existing farmland and keeping farm productivity high without sacrificing safety and sustainability.

Armed with proof of the possibility of faster, cheaper and safer R&D, we are proud to be a player in this important new space and to be a part of the Food Innovators Network. By leveraging innovation, providing for sustainability and using digital AI, we can benefit farmers, the earth, the world’s growing population and ultimately, “a future where innovation serves equitable growth.”

ABOUT Food Innovation Hubs and Food Innovators Network via WeForum.org:

"The Food Innovation Hubs Global Initiative (FIH) strengthens global, regional and country-led innovation ecosystems to scale innovative solutions for food systems transformation through country and regional hubs. Since 2021, six pace-setter hubs are under development across the world in Europe, India, Colombia, Kenya, Viet Nam, and the United Arab Emirates.”

“The Food Innovators Network (FIN) brings together the food systems innovation community including entrepreneurs, investors, private sector, policy experts, governments, technology experts, farmer organizations and thought leaders. FIN has two thematic working groups: Protein innovation, and Data and digital solutions”

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