Google.org supports Edufarmers with US$3.5M to bring AI-powered farming to 200,000 smallholder farmers in Thailand and Vietnam

Agriculture is vital to Asia Pacific, employing about 30% of the total population. But it's also a sector facing big transitions, especially with climate change projected to reduce crop productivity by up to 50% in some areas by 2050. In Southeast Asia alone, over 70 million smallholder farmers are grappling with these changes.   

To help, Google’s philanthropy arm, Google.org announced at the 2nd Regional Policy Convening of AI Ready ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur a US$3.5 million grant to Edufarmers International Foundation (Edufarmers), a non-profit organisation working to bring AI-powered agricultural solutions to 200,000 smallholder farmers across Thailand and Vietnam. This is the first grant under Google.org’s US$10 million APAC AI for Society initiative. 

“Being the first recipient of Google.org's AI for Society initiative is both an honor and a responsibility we hold deeply at Edufarmers. AI in agriculture is personal—our farmers are the heart of food security, yet too often face their biggest challenges alone. With our agronomic AI tools, we’re bridging that gap by making knowledge accessible and practical. We look forward to adapting what we’ve learned in Indonesia to support farmers in Thailand and Vietnam, rooted in their local realities.” said Amri Ilmma, COO Edufarmers. 

With local partners in Thailand and Vietnam, Edufarmers will develop a localised, free AI-powered agronomy chatbot to help farmers diagnose crop diseases through image analysis, provide tailored agronomy advice and adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. They’ll also train 30,000 farmers and extension workers in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to drive long-term impact on productivity, food security and in turn, boost their income. 

“We’ve seen AI drive a transformative change in agriculture, a sector at the heart of many ASEAN economies. Through this grant, we’re bringing that potential to life for smallholder farmers in Thailand and Vietnam. By combining AI with local expertise, we’re not just improving productivity, we’re strengthening our food systems and supporting sustainable farming - unlocking opportunity – one farmer, one family, one field at a time.”  said Sapna Chadha, Vice President, Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier.

This initiative builds on the purpose-driven partnership between Google.org and Edufarmers since 2022 to advance food security and foster sustainable agricultural practices. Learn more about the Edufarmers and Google.org partnership: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlprqllxG5g

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