AIM For Scale Mobilises Global Initiative To Support 100 Million Farmers With Digital Advisory Services By 2030

The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) has set an ambitious goal to reach 100 million farmers with digital advisory services by 2030. This initiative was announced at COP30 and is supported by the International Affairs Office of the UAE Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation. The coalition includes partners like the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and governments from Ethiopia and India.

These efforts aim to provide farmers with science-based insights such as weather forecasts, pest advisories, and soil information. This information will help improve decision-making, productivity, and climate resilience on a large scale. The milestone is linked to AIM for Scale’s new Innovation Package on Digital Advisory Services for Agriculture.

The Asian Development Bank is a key partner in this initiative. It aims to assist 20 million farmers across Asia and the Pacific region by providing timely advisories backed by weather forecasts. Noelle O’Brien, Director of Climate Change at the Asian Development Bank, stated that "ADB is engaging in this partnership to promote the use of digital solutions as well as catalyse more investments into weather and climate information services to aid agriculture production."

In Ethiopia, the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) collaborates with AIM for Scale to deliver tailored advisories to over seven million farmers through the 8028 Hotline. Starting in 2026, AIM for Scale plans to expand its collaboration with multilateral development banks and governments in eleven additional countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has already made significant progress by delivering AI-based monsoon onset forecasts via SMS to 38 million farmers earlier this year. Pramod Meherda from the Ministry noted that "This programme harnesses the revolution in AI-based weather forecasting to predict the arrival of continuous rains, empowering farmers to plan agricultural activities with greater confidence and manage risks."

The Human-Centered Weather Forecasts Initiative at the University of Chicago collaborated with Precision Development—supported by AIM for Scale—to advance scientific foundations for these projects. Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer highlighted that "These forecasts were successful in many ways, including by correctly predicting a pause in the northward progression of the monsoon."

Training Programmes and Strategic Investments

AIM for Scale launched an AI Weather Forecasting for Agriculture Training Programme in Abu Dhabi. This programme involves collaboration between Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, UAE National Centre for Meteorology, and University of Chicago. It aims to train meteorological and agricultural agencies from various countries.

The Gates Foundation supports strategic investments advancing forecast benchmarking across Africa. Neil Hausmann from the Gates Foundation emphasised that evaluating models locally ensures they represent local conditions accurately.

Long-term Impact through Collaboration

Mariam Almheiri from the UAE Presidential Court expressed that turning climate uncertainty into opportunity drives their efforts. She stated that "AIM for Scale embodies this vision - bringing together governments, development banks, and partners to channel investment into solutions that can be deployed widely and sustainably."

Paul Winters from AIM for Scale remarked on their goal: "Every farmer—regardless of where they live—should have access to the information they need to confidently make decisions that will strengthen their livelihoods." Morgan Doyle from IDB added that partnerships forged at COP30 ensure digital agriculture reaches every corner of their region.

Amir Jina from University of Chicago highlighted last-mile delivery's importance: "We need to rigorously test what works for farmers in real conditions—how messages are delivered, understood, and acted upon." These collaborative efforts aim towards building more productive food systems globally by 2030.

With inputs from WAM