Azerbaijan, Nov 18 : Mariam Almheiri, Head of International Affairs at the Presidential Court, underscored the critical role of partnerships and technological advancements in transforming food systems amid climate challenges during her participation in key events at COP29 in Baku.
Building on the UAE-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation partnership announced at COP28, Almheiri highlighted progress over the past year in advancing agricultural innovation. At the UAE Pavilion, she joined a panel discussion co-organized with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the Gates Foundation. The session, titled “Partnering to Create AI-based Public Goods for 500 Million Smallholders,”explored using generative AI to improve access to agricultural research and extension services in climate-vulnerable regions.
Almheiri emphasized the potential of tools like the newly launched AgriLLM project, which leverages the UAE’s open-access Falcon LLMs to provide farmers with accurate and reliable information. She described the initiative as a decision-support tool for agricultural researchers, development professionals, and extension workers, aiming to revolutionize the agricultural landscape for smallholders worldwide.
She also participated in an event focused on the Agriculture Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale), discussing the importance of empowering small-scale producers with climate-focused tools like weather information. Almheiri announced the launch of an AI-based Weather Forecasting Research and Training Programme, spearheaded by MBZUAI, which will collaborate with global partners such as the World Meteorological Organization, the University of Chicago, and the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology. Over three years, the initiative will support technical training for more than 30 countries and pioneer advanced AI techniques for weather forecasting.
Earlier, Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, formally launched AIM for Scale’s first Innovation Package. This initiative, focused on delivering high-quality, farmer-centric weather forecasts in low- and middle-income countries, has already mobilized USD 1 billion in funding commitments.
