Data Ecosystems for AI in Agrifood Systems Webinar
Virtual Event, 01/04/2026
Agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region are under increasing pressure from climate variability, water scarcity, land degradation and rapid population growth. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to support more efficient, resilient and data-driven agrifood systems, from improving resource management to enabling better decision-making for farmers, policymakers and agribusinesses.
However, effective AI applications depend on robust data ecosystems. In many countries across the region, agricultural data remains fragmented across institutions, platforms and stakeholders, limiting its potential for innovation and impact. Strengthening data collection, sharing, governance and interoperability is therefore a critical step toward unlocking the benefits of AI for agrifood systems.
To foster dialogue and collaboration around these issues, FAO is launching the Regional AI Dialogue for Agrifood Systems in the NENA Region, a webinar series bringing together policymakers, researchers, innovators and private sector actors.
About the Webinar
This first webinar in the series will explore the role of data ecosystems in enabling AI applications in agrifood systems. It will examine current challenges in data availability, governance and infrastructure, while highlighting emerging initiatives and good practices from the region and beyond.
The session will bring together experts from government, academia, international organizations and the private sector to exchange perspectives and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Objectives
The webinar aims to:
- Raise awareness about the importance of data ecosystems for AI in agrifood systems.
- Identify key barriers and risks related to agricultural data collection, sharing and governance in the NENA region.
- Explore regional and international good practices in building data ecosystems.
- Initiate dialogue among stakeholders to support collaborative solutions and future actions.
Format: Online participation via Zoom with simultaneous interpretation in English and Arabic
Agenda
Participants: Government officials, academic researchers, and institutional representatives from NENA countries
Duration | Segment | Description |
13:35 | Opening of the Regional AI Dialogue – FAO’s role and vision for AI in agrifood systems in NENA | Launching the Regional Digital Agriculture and AI Dialogue: FAO’s Commitment to Responsible AI in NENA Agrifood Systems Mr. AbdulHakim Elwaer, Assistant DirectorGeneral, FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa |
13:40 | FAO vision on AI in agrifood systems and the centrality of data | FAO’s Global Vision for AI: Roadmap and the Role of Data Ecosystems in Agrifood Systems Mr. Henry van Burgsteden, Senior Digital Agriculture Officer, FAO Headquarters |
13:50-14:20 | Session 1: Current State & Barriers in NENA region | Agrifood Data Ecosystems for AI in the MENA Region. Moroccan Agricultural Data Service for an Inclusive, Intelligent, and Governed Agrifood Ecosystem. Prof Loubna El Mansouri, Director of the Digital Pole of the Ministry of Agriculture Towards to farmercentric, interoperable, and data-driven agrifood systems. Dr Sebastian Bosse, Head of the Interactive and Cognitive Systems Group at Fraunhofer HHI, on behalf of ITU |
14:20-14:40 | Session 2: Successful AI Practices | Regional success stories and scalable models for ecosystem development in NENA region: AI data application in Earth Observation and GIS-Remote Sensing. Mr. Bashir Kagere, Senior Technology Deployment Specialist, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) AI and bioacoustics for the early detection of the Red Palm Weevil pest in palm trees: practical case studies from farms and countries. Mr. Zeid Sinokrot, CEO/Founder at Palmear |
14:40-15:00 | Session 3: Priorities & Perspective | From Data to Decisions: Simplexifying Agrifood Systems in the AI Era. Mr. Bassel Daher, Assistant Director for Sustainable Development at Texas A&M University Building the Digital Fondation: Preparing MENA’s Rural Agrifood Systems for AI. Rima Hijazi, Agri-tech Accelerator Project Coordinator (MENA Region) at CGIAR |
15:00 | Closing Remarks & Networking | Summary of Recommendations, Next Steps, and Proposed Follow-Up Actions Mrs. Faten Adada, Agriculture and Rural Development Expert at FAO RNE |