Photo Credit: Farm Credit Canada

A new report from Farm Credit Canada explores why artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is lagging in agriculture compared to other sectors and countries, and how AI has the potential to increase Canada’s global competitiveness. 

Although agtech is starting to leverage AI, FCC pinpoints four barriers hindering greater adoption on Canadian farms:

• Limited capital and investment into agricultural research and innovation.
• Talent shortages due to a lack of AI and digital skills in agriculture.
• Patchy digital infrastructure such as a weak internet connection and limited interoperability.
• Unclear governance frameworks and regulations, resulting in a lack of trust in new tools.

To solve these barriers, FCC identifies areas of investment to accelerate AI adoption, including agtech innovation, skills and talent, governance, and initiatives like the AIVA Network for on-farm validation. As one of AIVA’s founding partners, FCC recognizes how a coordinated, national network like AIVA can align farmers, agtech innovators, and policymakers to develop AI into tools that deliver measurable value on the farm.

Read the full report here.