AI for Development: Why Girls Must Lead the Future of Agrifood Systems

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming agrifood systems across the world. From climate-smart farming and precision agriculture to digital marketplaces and data-driven decision-making, technology is reshaping how food is produced, managed, and distributed. Yet an important question remains: who gets to participate in and shape this transformation?

This critical issue was at the center of the International Girls in ICT Day 2026 webinar organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future.”

The webinar brought together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and youth leaders to discuss the growing role of AI in agrifood systems and the urgent need to ensure that girls and young women are not left behind in the digital revolution.

Inclusion Is Essential for Innovation

Opening the discussion, Henry van Burgsteden, Senior Innovation Officer and Digital Agriculture Lead at FAO, emphasized that digital innovation is now central to modern agrifood systems. AI and emerging technologies are increasingly influencing food production, climate resilience, sustainability, and rural development. However, he stressed that technology alone cannot create inclusive progress. The success of digital transformation depends on who designs, governs, and benefits from innovation.

Despite advances in connectivity and digital tools, women and girls, especially in rural communities, continue to face barriers in accessing technology, digital education, leadership opportunities, and innovation ecosystems. As a result, many risk being excluded from one of the fastest-growing areas of global development. The webinar highlighted that empowering girls is not simply a social objective. It is essential for building resilient and future-ready agrifood systems.

Understanding the Digital Gender Divide

Dr. Huda Alsahi, Social Policy Officer at FAO, provided a powerful analysis of the structural inequalities shaping digital participation.

She explained that the digital gender divide goes far beyond internet access. It includes unequal opportunities in STEM education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and digital skills development. Women are often underrepresented not only as users of technology, but also as innovators, researchers, and decision-makers.

One particularly important issue raised during the discussion was the role of AI bias. AI systems rely heavily on data, and when rural women are underrepresented in datasets, technologies may fail to reflect their needs and realities. In some cases, this can reinforce existing inequalities rather than solve them.

To address these challenges, Dr. Alsahi emphasized the need for:

• affordable rural connectivity;
• investment in digital and STEM skills;
• gender-responsive data collection;
• safer and more inclusive digital platforms; and
• stronger representation of women in innovation governance.

Her contribution reinforced the idea that inclusive digital transformation requires systemic change, not isolated interventions.

Innovation with Real-World Impact

The conversation then moved from policy to practice, with a contribution from Buyiswa Twala, CEO of Agrigreat Soiltech & Envirocare.

Twala shared how her company transforms biowaste into sustainable agricultural solutions that help restore degraded soils and improve food security. Her work demonstrates how innovation can simultaneously address environmental challenges, agricultural productivity, and economic opportunity.

Importantly, she highlighted that technology alone is not enough to create impact. Sustainable innovation requires strong systems, strategic planning, continuous research, and effective business models. Digital tools such as AI-powered platforms, farm management systems, and digital accounting technologies have enabled her organization to optimize operations, scale its work, and expand across multiple countries.

Her journey illustrated how women-led innovation can create meaningful change within agrifood systems while also inspiring future generations of entrepreneurs.

Youth Leadership and the Future of AI

The webinar also showcased the voice of the next generation through Isabella Chancahuana Castillo, a Peruvian physics student and Science & Innovation Lead for the World Food Forum Peru.

Her work focuses on applying AI, remote sensing, and digital technologies to address real-world agricultural and environmental challenges. Through projects involving irrigation systems, biodiversity monitoring, and local community engagement, Isabella demonstrated how advanced technologies can be adapted to practical local needs.

She also shared a framework for turning ideas into impact:

• identifying challenges through community engagement;
• building interdisciplinary skills;
• leveraging global partnerships;
• adapting innovation to local realities; and
• continuously measuring and improving results.

Beyond technical expertise, Isabella addressed the social barriers many young women continue to face, including limited opportunities, language barriers, unpaid care responsibilities, and self-doubt.

Her message was both inspiring and urgent: girls and young women should not simply participate in innovation systems — they should lead them.

Moving from Conversation to Action

One of the strongest aspects of the webinar was its emphasis on practical solutions and long-term investment. The discussion highlighted several initiatives designed to support girls and young women in technology and agrifood innovation, including:

• mentorship programs connecting youth with experts;
• hands-on AI training opportunities;
• digital storytelling initiatives; and
• innovation networks that foster collaboration and leadership.

These efforts reflect a broader shift from awareness to action. Building inclusive innovation ecosystems requires sustained investment in education, connectivity, skills, leadership, and opportunity.

Building an Inclusive Digital Future

The future of agrifood systems will undoubtedly be shaped by digital innovation. However, the webinar made one point unmistakably clear: innovation cannot be truly transformative if half the population remains underrepresented in shaping it.

Girls and young women are already contributing as researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders. The challenge now is to ensure they have equal access to the tools, education, networks, and opportunities needed to thrive.

Empowering girls in AI and digital agriculture is not only a matter of equity. It is a strategic investment in sustainable development, food security, climate resilience, and the future of global agrifood systems.

The digital future must be inclusive — and girls must be part of leading it.

This conclusion and the engaging discussion were expertly moderated by Alessia Correani, Innovation Officer at FAO, whose guidance helped ensure a collaborative and inspiring exchange throughout the event.