Eurecat leads the coordination of the international consortium Bridge-AI, an initiative that will promote a new generation of digital tools supported by data from satellites, sensors installed in the field, and artificial intelligence models integrated into easily accessible mobile solutions, according to the technological center reported this Friday in a statement.
The project aims to "boost digital training and generate recommendations that help the agricultural sector of Kenya, Tunisia, and Nigeria in decision-making such as crop planning, water management, and land use."
According to Eurecat, the proposal aims to respond to environmental and social challenges that condition agricultural production on the African continent, such as water resource scarcity, soil degradation, and high climate variability, in a scenario where more than 95% of the cultivated area depends directly on precipitation.
Bridge-AI will also address the difficulties of access to irrigation infrastructure, agricultural support services, and digital tools adapted to local needs, as well as the digital skills gap that hinders the adoption of advanced technologies in rural areas.
The coordinator of the Bridge-AI project and researcher of the Applied Artificial Intelligence Unit of Eurecat, Didac Colominas, highlights that "generative AI allows converting complex data from the territory into useful information in natural language so that people engaged in agriculture can make decisions more aligned with the real conditions of each crop and each environment."
Inclusion and training in the rural environment
For her part, the project coordinator at Eurecat, Rosa Araujo, emphasizes that "the digital transformation of agriculture will only be effective if it is inclusive," so the consortium will also focus on the participation of women, who make up more than 60% of the agricultural workforce in many African regions, although they often have less access to resources, technology, and training programs.
Araujo stresses that digital training and inclusion "are essential for technological innovation to effectively reach rural communities and contribute to generating new economic and social opportunities."