AI powers the future of agriculture at the 2025 Digital Agriculture Forum, Wuzhen Summit

On November 8, the Digital Agriculture Forum of the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit was convened successfully. The event was jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Zhejiang University. As the first Digital Agriculture sub-forum in the history of the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, the forum was themed “Digital Agriculture Solutions in era of AI and agri-tech market growth,” which aimed to explore the underlying principles and innovative pathways of digital agriculture development, foster a collaborative industrial ecosystem, and promote the digital transformation and sustainable development of global agriculture and rural areas.

Before the Forum officially starts, two videos were displayed, which summarize and showcase the successful outcomes of the Global AgriInno Challenge and Digital Agriculture Innovation Bootcamp. The two activities are of the various joint events of FAO and Zhejiang University under a Memorandum of Understanding. 

Dejan Jakovljevic, Chief Information Officer and Director of Digital FAO and Agroinformatics Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); HUANG Xianhai, Vice President of Zhejiang University; and FAN Jiezhen, Co-founder of Pinduoduo, attended the forum and delivered opening speeches. 

Dejan Jakovljevic emphasized that digitalization and artificial intelligence are key forces driving global agricultural transformation. They help build efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems, realizing the grand vision of better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life. At the same time, Nikolai Trendov, Senior Digital Agriculture and Innovation Expert at FAO, noted that while technology exists, gaps remain. He urged collaboration among industry, academia, research, and the UN, emphasizing that only by working together can digitalization’s full potential be realized.

HUANG Xianhai noted that Zhejiang University aligns with China’s efforts to advance the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, leveraging global cooperation and interdisciplinary innovation to empower agricultural digital transformation through AI, and to build a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for agriculture.

FAN Jiezhen stated that Pinduoduo adheres to a long-term commitment to agriculture, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI and big data to drive agricultural innovation, talent development, and full industry chain upgrades, contributing to high-quality agricultural development and rural revitalization.

At the forum, over 80 representatives from international organizations—including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the UN World Food Programme, and the Asian Development Bank; government bodies such as the Information Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Zhejiang Province, and the Hangzhou High-Tech Zone Administrative Committee; leading research institutions including the Agricultural Big Data Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Zhejiang University, and Virginia Tech; as well as industry-leading enterprises such as Zhejiang Top Cloud-Agri Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhongtong Information Technology (Yancheng) Co., Ltd. —delivered keynote speeches on topics including “AI-Driven Agricultural Progress” and “Commercial Practices in Digital Agriculture,” and participated in a roundtable discussion on “Agricultural Outlook in the AI Era.” 

The closing session of the Digital Agriculture Forum at the 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit featured the highly anticipated unveiling of the Digital Agriculture Innovation (Hangzhou) Hub, an initiative backed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The new Hub is set to serve as a catalyst for research and development, driving forward the practical adoption of cutting-edge digital agriculture technologies.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations