The 14th Asia-Pacific Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture (APFITA 2024) was successfully held from November 6 to 8 at the Tsukuba International Conference Center in Japan. It attracted experts and scholars in agricultural science and technology from countries including Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and others. Under the theme “Data-Driven Sustainable Agricultural Food Production Systems,” the event showcased the diverse potential of smart agriculture in future developments.
At the opening ceremony, attendees listened to keynote speeches by three experts who deeply explored smart agriculture’s core technologies and application trends. Dr. Rafael Andres Ferreyra, Chairman of ISO/TC 347, shared the latest developments in global data-driven agricultural food systems and emphasized the critical role of standardized data platforms for cross-national collaboration and technology integration. Dr. Rassarin Chinnachodteeranun, CEO of ListenField, showcased agricultural technology solutions using AI and IoT, focusing on enhancing crop yields and reducing resource waste through precision agriculture. Dr. Takahiro Kawamura of Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) analyzed future applications of plant phenotyping technologies and big data processing in agricultural robotics, portraying a vision of sustainable agricultural development driven by technology. The keynote speeches gave attendees a profound understanding of how agricultural information and technology are applied to address current agricultural challenges, leaving a lasting impression. Figure 1 shows a group photo of all participants after the keynote session.
In addition to representatives from the Taiwan Agricultural Information Technology Development Association, over 20 teachers and students from National Taiwan University, National Ilan University, National Sun Yat-sen University, Feng Chia University, and Fo Guang University participated in the conference, presenting their research findings. Figure 2 shows a group photo of the Taiwan delegation. Moreover, doctoral student Dr. Xu Jin-Huang presented research on “Risk Assessment of Agricultural Production Using Open Climate Data and Deep Learning Algorithms” (see Figure 3), which sparked lively discussions. Concurrently, the APFITA Member Representatives’ Meeting (see Figure 4) was held, chaired by Director Chou Tien-Yin of GIS.FCU, who also serves as Secretary-General of APFITA (Taiwan Agricultural Information Technology Development Association). The meeting resolved that the next conference would be hosted by Indonesia’s IPB University, with the Taiwan Agricultural Information Technology Development Association (TAITA) continuing to host after the Indonesia event. The conference results were announced during the closing session (see Figure 5), and the event generated significant excitement about prospects.
APFITA successfully established an international exchange platform in agricultural information technology in the Asia-Pacific region. This conference attracted over 200 experts, scholars, and industry professionals, from the opening keynote speeches to the various research presentations and discussions, symbolizing unlimited possibilities for the future of agriculture. Additionally, TAITA and the Taiwan delegation actively vied for the hosting rights of APFITA, marking an important milestone in advancing smart agriculture technology development and fostering international cooperation.
