AI Revolutionizes Latin American Agriculture

Latin American startups are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to usher in a new era of precision agriculture, promising higher yields, sustainability, and easier access to credit for farmers across the region. These innovations are particularly significant for agricultural powerhouses like Brazil, the world’s top exporter of soybeans, corn, and beef.

Entrepreneurs like Aline Oliveira Pezente, founder of the Brazilian startup Traive, are addressing long-standing credit constraints faced by farmers. Traive’s AI analyzes vast amounts of agriculture data to assess risks for lenders. This streamlines the process and provides farmers with better access to much-needed funding.

Other AI applications are rapidly transforming farming practices. Alejandro Mieses of the Puerto Rican startup TerraFirma uses satellite imagery and AI to predict environmental risks, while Mariana Vasconcelos, CEO of Brazil’s Agrosmart, employs AI for sustainable farming management.

Despite the need for massive data sets to train AI models, these entrepreneurs are optimistic about the potential of technology to address the challenges of feeding a growing global population.

“Agriculture is often seen as opposed to nature,” says Vasconcelos, “But I think technology is showing that actually it can regenerate, restore the environment, work together with nature… Agriculture is headed for a more sustainable model.”