The event, organised by the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL) and FAIR Forward (GIZ) on Friday, January 17, 2025, in Accra, saw the winners showcasing cutting-edge AI solutions for identifying various crop diseases.

These innovative solutions leveraged lightweight, offline AI models capable of detecting and isolating crop diseases with remarkable precision. 

One standout feature was the ability of these models to function in resource-constrained environments, providing actionable insights for smallholder farmers.

Winners

In first place, Ronny Polle and Adeyinka Sotunde took home a cash prize of ?65,000. Stefan Strydom took second position and received ?40,000 as a reward. Third place went to Raphael Laibuni Kiminya, who received ?25,000 as a reward.

The event convened key stakeholders in artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, and agriculture to discuss innovative solutions for sustainable development.

It gathered participants from renowned institutions, including the Crop Research Institute (CRI) under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), 3Farmmate Robotics Limited, VAXUS AI, Zindi, KaraAgro AI, and many others.

Leveraging AI

The Principal Investigator and Scientific Director of the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL), Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, mentioned RAIL’s commitment to leveraging AI for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in areas of health, agriculture, education, energy, illegal mining, and inclusion.

Prof. Kponyo highlighted the importance of datasets in AI-driven solutions and noted RAIL's collaboration with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services (PPRSD) and the Ministry of Agriculture to gather Afrocentric datasets on crop diseases. 

He announced RAIL's Agrivoltaic Initiative, which integrates farming and solar energy generation with demonstration sites in Tamale and Kumasi. Notably, the first dataset on agrivoltaics has been published and is now accessible on Kaggle.

Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Principal Investigator and Scientific Director, RAIL.

He further stressed the need for constructive partnerships (SDG 17) and collaboration to maximise resources and build upon existing work.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo encouraged stakeholders to adopt innovative solutions and announced RAIL’s pilot farm initiative to deploy AI tools for real-world testing. He expressed hope that this event marks the beginning of sustained collaboration within the ecosystem.

Addressing Climate Change

The Vice-Chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group, Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, delivered an engaging presentation on the role of technology in addressing climate change. 

She stressed the devastating effects of climate change on agriculture, particularly in Ghana, where most farmers practice rainfed agriculture.

Prof. Klutse also outlined how AI can help create actionable climate models, improve predictions, and optimise systems. She called for investment in AI infrastructure, capacity building, and inclusive approaches involving smallholder farmers, women, and youth in developing solutions.

For his part, Technical Adviser for FAIR Forward, GIZ, Mr. Elikplim Sabblah, reaffirmed GIZ’s commitment to advancing AI in Ghana and beyond. 

He described FAIR Forward as a global initiative operating in seven countries to democratise AI through resource access and policy frameworks. 

He reiterated the importance of events like this, which explore the intersection of AI, climate change, and agriculture to contribute to the SDGs.