Human-Centered AI for Agrifood Systems

Geneva - As artificial intelligence transforms economies, societies and essential services, leaders from governments, The Holy See, international organizations, academia and youth networks gathered on 5 October in Geneva, at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organizations, for a high-level dialogue on “Human-Centered AI for Agrifood Systems: From Ethics to Implementation.” Convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN Office in Geneva and other International Organizations, the event discussed how AI innovation can serve humanity while ensuring that no one is left behind.

The dialogue came at a pivotal moment for global digital cooperation. Participants stressed that agrifood systems, food security and rural communities must be more visible in debates on AI governance, safety, inclusion and accountability. AI can improve productivity, resilience, and sustainability, but it also raises critical questions of equity, access, governance, and the distribution of benefits. As Professor Charles Spillane, FAO Chief Scientist, highlighted in his opening remarks: “The benefits and the risks of AI are both real- we need to balance benefit against risk.  We need AI oversight that keeps pace with the technology, clear human accountability when AI advises or decides, fair decisions on alignment trade-offs where farmers and agrifood system stakeholders are engaged and shared data and digital public goods so that AI benefits can reach the billions who are still offline.”

Bridging Ethics and Implementation

FAO and the Holy See share a conviction that artificial intelligence should be governed as a public good, grounded in human dignity, solidarity and the common good. “Placing the human person at the core of policy discussions on Artificial Intelligence is not an impediment to innovation. On the contrary, it is what allows innovation to remain genuinely at the service of humanity and to pursue purposes worthy of the human person” said H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva, co-organizer of the High-Level Dialogue during the official opening.

The dialogue brought together the Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of Brazil (H.E. Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota), Italy (H.E. Luigi Maria Vignali), Poland (H.E. Miroslaw Broilo that hosted the event) and Rwanda (Fabrice Mihigo Safali, First Secretary), alongside high management from the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Accelerator (GESDA), FAO experts and youth innovators from BotanaAI, Sicily first digital agronomist. Discussions covered national approaches, including youth perspective, to AI governance, investment to bridge digital divides, accountability mechanisms and international cooperation to enable developing countries to participate fully in the AI transition. Participants emphasized that ethical commitments must become practical policies, safeguards, and solutions.

A recurring message was that innovation alone is not enough: inclusion, trust and human oversight must be built into AI systems from the outset, especially in sectors affecting livelihoods, food security and resilience. "Ethical considerations can guide governance models more effectively when they are integrated early, before the technology’s trajectories settle and competing considerations emerge,” emphasized Prof. Marilyne Andersen, GESDA Director General, in her keynote on the role of science anticipation. “Anticipation can map where AI in agrifood systems is heading when governance paths can still be shaped, while science diplomacy can secure the relationships, from countries to farming communities, that governance for the benefit of humanity will rely on."

Ensuring AI Works for Farmers and Rural Communities

Particular attention was given to smallholder farmers, rural communities, women and youth, who remain underrepresented in technology-policy debates despite being among those most affected by climate change, food insecurity and limited digital access. Youth perspectives reinforced the need to engage young people not only as technology users, but as co-creators of AI solutions and leaders of digital transformation.

The event concluded with a live demonstration of FAO’s AI-enabled knowledge tools, showing how responsible innovation can expand access to agrifood intelligence while upholding transparency, accessibility and inclusion.

From Geneva Dialogue to Global Action

The event launched a broader conversation on AI governance through an agrifood systems lens and marked the inaugural milestone of FAO Geneva’s proposed AI Diplomacy and Digital Governance Dialogues series. As International Geneva prepares for the next editions of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS), AI for Good, the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the Geneva AI Summit in June 2027, the series will connect global principles with practical impact and contribute to the broader “Road to Geneva” process, led by the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), in collaboration with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland.

Forthcoming dialogues are expected to address rural digital and AI divides, trustworthy AI and digital public goods, and responsible AI for humanitarian action, food security and resilience—generating practical insights to move from values to governance, implementation and measurable impact.

The call to action is clear: governments, international organizations, innovators, researchers and communities must work together now to ensure that farmers, rural communities and future generations are not merely consulted, but help shape the rules, tools and investments defining the AI era. Geneva can turn global ambition into accountable action—but only if human dignity, food security and inclusion remain the measure of progress.