Despite holding up remarkably well during the pandemic, the early disruption to the supply chain has served as a wake-up call to the agriculture sector. Consequently, an industry that has typically been five-ten years behind the technology curve is (finally) coming to recognize the potential of AI as a catalyst for (arguably, much-needed) change.

A recent survey by Proagrica, the world's largest data and tech business serving the ag sector, looked into attitudes towards AI across seven core sectors: government, healthcare, insurance, legal, science/medical, banking and agriculture.

It found that AI has risen up the agenda in agriculture - here are some key findings:

• 87% of agricultural respondents believe that AI technologies played a role in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
• 76% of agricultural respondents say they've increased investment in AI in the last year against an average of 68% across other sectors
• 87% of agricultural respondents state that their company offers training on AI technologies, up from 81% in 2019.

Lindsay Suddon, Chief Strategy Officer for Proagrica, joins me on the podcast to discuss the findings. As one of the original architects of Proagrica, Lindsay's focus continues to be on strengthening Proagrica's ability to provide a wide range of data-centered solutions to a variety of industry segments across the supply chain, unlocking value for all.

Under Lindsay's time with Proagrica, the division has transformed itself into a technology and data business, acquiring a variety of best-in-class assets such as GateKeeper, F4F (Adaptris), and SST. A large part of the strategy involves organic innovation and development, bringing together existing and acquired assets to create new, valuable products and solutions; smart insight-driven data analysis that helps drive the industry forward; managing risk and driving productivity; and profitability and compliance.