The third ILO Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the world of work forum aims to explore how AI can improve farming productivity and efficiency for food security and decent work.
ACV-CSCIASIA.ORG, JAKARTA, Indonesia (ILO News) – Agriculture plays a crucial role in Indonesia’s economy, contributing approximately 14 percent to the nation’s GDP and employing about 28 percent of the labour force. The sector predominantly employs smallholder farmers who have not advanced beyond primary schooling, are mainly over the age of 45, and lack (high speed) internet access.
Against this backdrop, with the aim to showcase the potential benefits (and challenges) of artificial intelligence (AI), for and within the national agricultural domain, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Indonesia and Timor-Leste is organizing a forum titled “Cultivating Indonesia’s Agricultural Success: How AI Can Transform Agriculture for Food Security, Productivity, and Decent Work” to be held on 4 December 2024 in Jakarta.
AI is an important tool for the government of Indonesia to implement and achieve Asta Cita programmes as the vision and mission of the current government administration, to reach the Golden Indonesia 2045 and to meet the global commitment in addressing food security, climate change and so forth. Said Fahrurozi, SH., MA, Expert for Industrial Relations Affairs of the Ministry of Manpower.
The forum, the third in a series of dedicated talks facilitated by the ILO on AI and the world of work, is hosted by Prof. Yassierli, PhD, Indonesian Minister of Manpower, represented by Fahrurozi, SH., MA, Expert for Industrial Relations Affairs as keynote speaker, while remarks by Prof. Yeni Herdiyeni, Head of AI Study Programme at the School of Data Science, Mathematics and Informatics of IPB University and by Simrin Singh, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, introduce the discussion.
“The use of AI in Indonesia’s agricultural sector has shown significant positive impact on productivity. AI is also an important tool for the government of Indonesia to implement and achieve Asta Cita programmes as the vision and mission of the current government administration, to reach the Golden Indonesia 2045 and to meet the global commitment in addressing food security, climate change and so forth,” stated Fahrurozi.
He also added that the Ministry of Manpower plays an important role in improving the quality of agricultural human resources through training programmes at its training centres nationwide. The Manpower Ministry has also provided a full support for agricultural entrepreneurial activities.
“We are here today because the future of agriculture in Indonesia depends on the collective actions. Policies of the government, investment of the private sector and participation of workers must align to create a framework for productivity where technology serves humanity and build a people-centric industries. The ILO continuous to support Indonesia to harness the potential power of AI to build a productive and smart agriculture sector,” stated Simrin Singh in her remark.
Invited panellists, including H. Aun Gunawan, Head of South Bandung Dairy Farming Cooperative, Muhammad Guruh, Senior Vice President of Innovation and Agritech PT Astra Agro Lestari, Ainu Rofig, Co-Founder and Board Member of KOLTIVA and Leonardo Lapalorcia, President of the Board of Directors and CEO at CRIF Financial Information Institution (CLIK) will share knowledge and practices about how AI applications are already, or could be, affecting productivity in agriculture, improving the efficiency in the use of inputs, crop management, quality of production, supply chain optimization, while also shedding light on how AI may contribute to address critical barriers such as access to finance by impacting the credit score.
The ILO continuous to support Indonesia to harness the potential power of AI to build a productive and smart agriculture sector. Said Simrin Singh, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste
Over 100 expert stakeholders brought together from diverse, yet complimentary fields will discuss artificial intelligence’s potential in agriculture and agro-processing for objectives such as improving working conditions, reducing risks of occupational safety and health (OSH), and protecting labour rights, harnessing productivity gains for all. They will also identify pathways and priority areas for policy interventions and practice.
The third ILO’s Artificial Intelligence Forum will be the last for the year of 2024. The first event, conducted on June 20, in conjunction with the visit of the ILO’s Deputy Director-General Celeste Drake to Indonesia, kickstarted the debate on the implications of artificial intelligence for the Indonesian labour market. The second, held on September 4, explored the role of AI in driving economic growth and innovation within Indonesia’s micro, small and medium enterprises. The series will resume in 2025 with more dedicated thematic discussions.