When AI Enters the Fields: A New Era of Global Cooperation in Taiwan’s Smart Agriculture

From traditional farming that relied on experiential knowledge, to the Green Revolution that introduced fertilizers and mechanization, and now to the digital technology wave of today, agriculture has always evolved with the times. In the 21st century, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), big data analytics, and sensing systems are steadily entering fields and greenhouses. From crop management to supply chain traceability, these tools are redefining what it means to grow well and sell well. This wave of smart agriculture is bolstering agricultural value chains while offering innovative solutions to global food security and climate adaptation.

Smart agriculture is already demonstrating breakthrough potential in precision cultivation, pest and disease forecasting, water efficiency management, and market transparency. It is increasingly recognized as an essential tool for developing countries to enhance food self-sufficiency and reduce risks. Applications such as AI-driven farm automation, blockchain-based supply chain traceability, and cloud-based agricultural data platforms are spreading rapidly worldwide. However, as technology truly enters the fields, challenges inevitably arise: the digital divide for smallholder farmers, the costs of system implementation, farmer training, and insufficient policy and regulatory support remain practical obstacles to scaling up smart agriculture.

In this global wave, Taiwan plays a unique and pivotal role. Leveraging its robust ICT industry, strong agricultural research capacity, and long-standing international cooperation experience, Taiwan is advancing smart agriculture domestically and abroad, supporting partner nations through the TaiwanICDF. For instance, in Thailand it transferred technology, localized standard operating procedures, trained seed personnel, and established cost-effectiveness models through the  Raising Capability on Horticultural Crop Cultivation in Thailand through the Application of Smart Farming Systems project. This approach enables partner countries to gradually build independent operational capacity, embodying a model of integrating technical assistance with deepened local engagement.

Global trends further validate this direction. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank, and numerous governments have identified smart agriculture as a core strategy for addressing food security and climate challenges. Only by balancing innovation with inclusiveness can smart agriculture truly drive sustainable agricultural development. Taiwan’s experience demonstrates that exporting technology goes beyond hardware and systems—it requires long-term commitments in knowledge co-creation, talent cultivation, and institutional collaboration.

Several cases of Taiwan’s contributions to global agricultural development are highlighted    in this issue. Professor Ta-Te  Lin of the Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering  at National Taiwan University presents “From Field to Market: How Smart Agriculture Reshapes the Agricultural Value Chain and Food Systems,” offering a macro perspective on global trends and Taiwan’s engagement with those trends. Dr. Shih-Chi Lee, Deputy Executive Director of the Central Taiwan Branch at the Industrial Technology Research Institute, contributes “New Agriculture in the AI Era: Opportunities for AI-Enabled Sustainable Production and International Cooperation,” examining both the opportunities and risks of agricultural innovation driven by AI applications. Dr. Chih-Jung Tsai, former Researcher and Deputy Director at the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, explores trends through “Global Development Trends in Smart Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries,” analyzing international cooperation needs amid the digital divide. Finally, the Taiwan Technical Mission in Thailand presents “Global Development Trends in Smart Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries,” which concretely illustrates how Taiwan’s smart agriculture practices are implemented in international development settings.

Meanwhile, the special report, titled “Taiwan’s Smart Agriculture Development and International Strategy,” features interviews with key officials, including Kun-Feng Kuo, Director- General of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Information Management; Hung-Hsi Li, Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Science and Technology; and Alex L.J. Shyy, Deputy Secretary-General of the TaiwanICDF. They share insights on Taiwan’s policy formulation, agricultural technology R&D, and ways that Taiwan leverages its technological strengths to support agricultural development in partner countries—especially in enhancing production efficiency and climate resilience amid global challenges

Looking ahead, the advancement of smart agriculture will extend beyond technological adoption. It must integrate closely with policy governance, local needs, and international cooperation. Only by deepening the implementation of the core values of technology, sustainability, and collaboration can smart agriculture be transformed into a lasting force that strengthens food security and agricultural resilience. Through the sharing of experiences and case studies in this issue, we hope to spark further reflection and exchange, ensuring Taiwan continues to play an indispensable role in the global wave of smart agriculture.

 

 

Summaries

Global Development Trends in Smart Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries

（Chih-Jung Tsai, Former Deputy Director, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute;

President, Taiwan Agricultural Facilities Association）

Smart agriculture represents a paradigm shift in agricultural production, integrating advanced technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics,   and precision agriculture. Its aim is to enhance productivity, improve resource efficiency, and achieve sustainable development. As the global population continues to grow and climate change intensifies food security challenges, smart agriculture is regarded as a key solution for the future. Yet, despite its vast potential, the promotion and application of smart agriculture face unique opportunities and challenges worldwide—particularly in developing countries. This article explores global development trends, technological applications, and policy initiatives in smart agriculture, with a focus on the opportunities and constraints faced by developing countries as they embrace digital transformation. It concludes with recommendations for moving forward.

From Field to Market: How Smart Agriculture Reshapes the Agricultural Value Chain and Food Systems

（Ta-Te Lin, Distinguished Professor, Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering,

National Taiwan University）

With rapid population growth and escalating climate risks, traditional agriculture faces mounting pressures as it fails to meet the needs of productivity, resources and sustainability. Smart agriculture, powered by digital technologies, is emerging as a crucial solution for strengthening food security and agricultural resilience. Through the integration of internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, blockchains, and automation, smart agriculture enables more precise resource management and decision support. This increases efficiency, reduces environmental impact, and enhances transparency across the agricultural value chain. This article draws on experiences from Taiwan and around the world to examine how smart agriculture enhances value chain efficiency, strengthens sustainability, and improves risk adaptation. It also considers Taiwan’s role in international cooperation, while addressing the challenges development partners face—such as policy support, technology adoption, and multi-stakeholder collaboration— in shaping an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural future.

New Agriculture in the AI Era: Opportunities for AI-Enabled Sustainable Production and International Cooperation

(Shih-Chi Lee, Deputy Executive Director, Central Taiwan Branch, Industrial Technology Research Institute)

The arrival of the AI era has accelerated the pace of  smart agriculture worldwide. As the traditional farming, forestry, fishery, and livestock industries confront aging workforces, environmental changes, and geopolitical risks, AI systems provide solutions through rapid learning, precise responses, and efficiency—making them indispensable to food security and production resilience. Through the use of IoT, AIoT (artificial intelligence of Things), UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), agri-bots, Wi-Fi and 5G, and low-orbit satellite communications, AI and semiconductor technologies are driving the transformation of agricultural production. Taiwan, with its strengths in hardware-software integration, stands at the forefront of these innovations. This article discusses the role of AI in enabling resilient and sustainable production, using cases from the Industrial Technology Research Institute to illustrate system integration and cross- ministerial collaboration. It concludes with recommendations for international cooperation models in exporting agri-tech solutions.

Taiwan’s Smart Agriculture in International Cooperation: Deepening Localization through Technical Assistance –

A Case Study of Implementing Smart Cultivation Systems in Thailand

（Hsin-Jui Hung, Taiwan Technical Mission in Thailand chief; Kang-Yu Lin, Taiwan Technical Mission in Thailand project manager）

This article examines Taiwan-Thailand collaboration through the Raising Capability on Horticultural Crop Cultivation in Thailand through the Application of Smart Farming Systems project. It explores how smart agriculture can evolve from one-way technology transfer into a   new model of localized co-creation, system integration, talent development, and public-private partnerships. Leveraging Taiwan’s ICT strengths, the project team introduced sensing, decision- making, and environmental control systems at the headquarters and field stations of the Royal Project Foundation in Chiang Mai. By following a “build–apply–evaluate” process, the project gradually enhanced local operational and data management capacity. Key challenges included technology adaptation, workforce training, commercialization, and effectiveness validation.

Countermeasures involved site assessments, localized interfaces, talent system development, co- created technical documents, and adjustments based on farmer feedback.

The article further proposes four directions for expansion: establishing open-source cultivation models and iterative data mechanisms; embedding talent and services within agricultural extension systems; forming international alliances under a model of Taiwan providing technology, while Thailand provides services; and, integrating financial tools to lower adoption barriers for farmers. Ultimately, the study argues that smart agriculture assistance should be viewed as a co-creation process, with shared contributions in the form of knowledge and governance. Taiwan Technical Missions can serve as contact points for overseas validation and market feedback, promoting scalable and replicable cooperation models. This, in turn, positions Taiwan as a regional technology hub while sharing sustainable outcomes with partner countries.

• 更新日期: 2025/10/01
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