Apertures in Agriculture Seeking Attention

Agriculture is arguably one economic activity that serves as the backbone of human civilization---It is the provider of the most essential lifeline for human survival, namely, food. Today, we stand at a juncture where world over, all key stakeholders involved in this activity, i.e., producers (farmers), consumers, and the planet are facing grave concerns. Formulating these concerns concretely and leveraging AI methods in developing solution strategies can help alleviate major risks to food systems. However, local contexts such as cultural practices, physical terrains, and socio-economic status pose unique challenges in being able to directly employ existing AI techniques across geographies. In this position paper, we highlight some such key challenges, specifically focusing on India and the developing world. We outline the problems of key stakeholders, and identify some gaps that need to be filled in addressing these problems.