AIM for Scale and CGIAR Launch Scaling Partnership

How do promising agricultural innovations move beyond pilots and reach the farmers who need them most?

That question framed a recent webinar marking the launch of a partnership between the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) and CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact Program, with support from the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation.

The discussion brought together leaders from government, philanthropy, research, finance and implementation to explore one of the most persistent challenges in agricultural development: not whether solutions exist, but how to make them work at scale, through systems that are sustainable, inclusive and able to improve lives.

Opening the event, Yaw Nyarko, Professor of Economics at New York University (NYU), NYU Abu Dhabi, and Vice Chair of AIM for Scale’s Advisory Panel, set out the central challenge. Agricultural research has generated ideas, evidence and innovations that can improve farmer livelihoods. But the real test is whether those ideas can reach people in practice.

“Farmers are waiting for innovations,” he said, reflecting on his work with smallholder farmers in Ghana and elsewhere. The task now is to ensure that research-backed solutions do not remain confined to papers, projects or pilots, but translate into real impact.

Fatema AlMulla, Senior Specialist of Development at the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, described the launch as a milestone in the UAE’s work to strengthen global food security through research, evidence and partnership.

She noted that AIM for Scale and CGIAR Scaling for Impact share a commitment to translating science into real outcomes for farmers. The partnership brings together CGIAR’s decades of agricultural research, global network and new Scaling for Impact platform with AIM for Scale’s experience working with governments and multilateral development banks to move evidence-backed innovation into national programs.

Together, they are well placed to answer one of the most important questions in development: how to move from solutions that work in pilots to solutions that reach millions of farmers.

That ambition is already taking shape in countries including Kenya. Fatema highlighted forthcoming work by AIM for Scale and CGIAR to support Kenya’s meteorological services in scaling weather forecasts for farmers, helping them make better agricultural decisions in the face of climate variability. AIM for Scale Program Director Tobi Baedeker and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Senior Scientist Ani Ghosh went on to elaborate that the collaboration in Kenya will focus on strengthening digital advisory systems more broadly. Building on previous CGIAR work, including that of AICCRA — Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa, the aim is to bring together weather, climate, agronomy, soil and fertilizer information and translate it into practical advice that farmers can receive through channels they already use.

This means working through national institutions such as Kenya’s meteorological services, KALRO, county extension systems, farmer registries, private sector agri-tech partners and organizations with existing farmer networks.

Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director of Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems at the Gates Foundation, placed the partnership in the context of mounting pressure on small-scale farmers.

Farmers are facing higher input prices, increasing climate variability, El Niño-related shocks and fewer resources to respond. At the same time, she stressed, solutions do exist. CGIAR and its partners have spent decades generating evidence on climate solutions, improved crops, advisory services and other innovations.

But evidence alone is not enough.

Ana Maria challenged the partnership to move beyond asking whether a technology can be scaled. Instead, scaling efforts must ask harder questions: for whom does this technology work? Who might be left out? Under what conditions will it succeed? Who will pay? What incentives are needed? And what should be done when evidence suggests the need to adapt, pause or stop?

For Ana Maria, the value of the new partnership lies in building a more disciplined bridge between research, government systems, finance, markets and last-mile delivery.

Drawing on her experience with AICCRA she emphasized that innovation must be packaged with the right enabling environment: partnerships, institutions, data systems, finance and feedback loops that allow solutions to work in real contexts.

She also made a strong call for responsible scaling. Scaling pathways must be clear about benefits and risks, synergies and trade-offs, and possible unintended consequences. They must ask who gains, who may lose, and when evidence requires a change in direction.

Above all, she said, the partnership must be gender intentional from the start. Women play a major role in agriculture but continue to face barriers in access to land, finance, information and technology. A scaling pathway that ignores these barriers will not truly scale, and may reinforce the inequalities it is trying to solve.

Sandra Milach, CGIAR Chief Scientist, welcomed the partnership as timely and necessary. Across CGIAR centers and partners, she said, there is no shortage of innovation. The challenge is ensuring these innovations benefit the farmers, communities and food systems facing the greatest pressures from climate change.

She positioned CGIAR Scaling for Impact as a central part of CGIAR’s 2025–2030 research portfolio: a program designed to connect science, partnerships, finance and delivery so that innovations can move through systems and reach scale.

Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale and Professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, explained that AIM for Scale focuses on agricultural innovations where evidence shows strong potential, but where adoption has not yet reached the scale needed. Its priority areas include AI-generated weather forecasts, digital advisory services, livestock productivity, soil health and AI for agriculture.

Closing the webinar, Timothy Krupnik, Director of CGIAR Scaling for Impact, said scaling must be treated as a discipline. Reach is not the finish line. The deeper question is whether farmers use services to make different decisions on their farms.

That focus captures the wider ambition of the CGIAR–AIM for Scale partnership: to move beyond generating more knowledge and toward getting knowledge used — in government systems, investment pipelines, advisory platforms and markets.

Its success will be measured not by the number of pilots launched, but by whether millions of farmers can access, trust, use and benefit from innovations that improve resilience, livelihoods and food systems at scale.

AIM for Scale and CGIAR Scaling for Impact Announce Webinar to Launch Partnership

AIM for Scale and CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact initiative are pleased to announce the formal launch of a new partnership, to be marked by a public webinar on July 7, 2026.

How do we move from promising solutions to impact at scale for farmers?

This question sits at the heart of both AIM for Scale and CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact initiative. Each is focused on identifying what works, strengthening the evidence base, and—critically—ensuring that evidence-backed solutions are translated into large-scale implementation that improves farmer livelihoods across low- and middle-income countries.

Building on this strong alignment—and with support from the UAE’s International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation—AIM for Scale and CGIAR Scaling for Impact are establishing a partnership to advance their shared mission. This webinar, titled “AIM for Scale × CGIAR: Partnering to Deliver Impact at Scale” will explore what it takes to scale agricultural innovations through governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and coordinated partnerships.

The discussion will highlight several core themes shaping both organizations’ work:

How governments can serve as the primary pathway for scaling impact
Why stronger coordination between technical partners, research institutions, and MDBs is essential
Lessons emerging from country implementation in Ethiopia and Kenya
How financing mechanisms and innovative approaches—including advance market commitments and other catalytic models—can help accelerate adoption and scale

The webinar will underscore the importance of scaling to meaningfully address food insecurity, highlight the complementary expertise AIM for Scale and CGIAR bring to supporting governments in achieving large-scale results, and explore how this partnership will translate into action on the ground.

The webinar will feature contributions from leaders at AIM for Scale, CGIAR, the UAE International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, the Gates Foundation, the International Water Management Institute, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and New York University at Abu Dhabi.

The event will take place on July 7, 2026 at 10:00am UAE time / 9:00am Nairobi time.

Registration is open at: https://aimforscalecgiarpartneringtode.splashthat.com/

Asian Development Bank and UAE Sign Technical Cooperation Partnership to Facilitate ADB and AIM for Scale’s Collaboration in Scaling Innovations

May 6, 2026 – This week on the sidelines of the ADB’s 59th Annual Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court signed a US$1.5 million technical cooperation partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to scale agricultural innovations for farmers across eight countries in Asia and the Pacific.

The new partnership will be operationalized by the ADB and AIM for Scale, building on a cooperation arrangement signed between both parties on March 19, 2026. It is part of a broader effort to align technical expertise, government leadership, and multilateral financing around scaling cost-effective agricultural solutions. The agreement is further strengthened by the support of the Japan’s Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).

Through this collaboration, AIM for Scale will work alongside ADB and government counterparts in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Maldives to translate evidence-backed innovations into investment-ready programs. These include weather forecasting for farmers, digital advisory services for agriculture, and livestock productivity solutions designed to improve farmer decision-making, productivity, and resilience.

AIM for Scale—supported by the UAE and the Gates Foundation—will provide technical expertise and coordination support to ensure these innovations are effectively embedded within ADB-financed operations and national delivery systems.

“International cooperation continues to play a key role in strengthening global food security,” said Advisor at the International Affairs Office of the UAE Presidential Court Khalfan Al Matrooshi. “Through Abu Dhabi’s AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, the UAE is convening the partners, expertise, and financing to make that possible. Today’s partnership is a testament to what international cooperation can deliver when global partners come together with shared purpose.”

By combining AIM for Scale’s evidence-first approach with ADB’s financing and country engagement, the partnership aims to close a persistent gap in agricultural development: ensuring that proven innovations reach farmers at the scale required to meaningfully improve livelihoods and food security.

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office at ADB, said: “Digital technologies, innovative financing, and improved fertilizer efficiency are critical to addressing the impact of recent shocks that have made millions more people go hungry, many of them in Asia and the Pacific. Collaborative agreements such as this one act as a catalyst towards integrated agricultural approaches – strengthening input systems, boosting productivity, and accelerating the transition towards more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems”

Shigeo Shimizu, Executive Director representing Japan at the ADB Board of Directors, added: “Through the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, Japan has been actively supporting initiatives that advance innovation, resilience, and digital transformation across the region. Our support for this initiative since 2024 reflects Japan’s strong and sustained commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening food systems through innovation and partnership.”

“We look forward to collaborating with the ADB to ensure that millions of farmers across Asia and the Pacific have access to evidence-backed innovations that can meaningfully strengthen their livelihoods,” said Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale. “We are grateful to the UAE and JFPR for enabling this important work.”

AIM for Scale Partners with Nigerian Meteorological Agency to Deliver AI-Powered Weather Forecasts to Farmers Across Nigeria

Man and woman sign documents at conference table

Abuja, Nigeria — April 14, 2026 — The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the delivery of climate and weather information to farmers across Nigeria.

The partnership will focus on integrating AI-based weather forecasting and enhancing digital advisory systems – translating timely, accurate climate information into practical guidance that helps farmers make better decisions and reduce their exposure to climate-related risks.

Through this collaboration, NiMet and AIM for Scale–an initiative supported by the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation–will leverage AI-driven forecasting to weather insights tailored to farmers’ needs. By translating these forecasts into actionable guidance, the partnership will support farmers in optimizing planting decisions, managing inputs more effectively, and mitigating the impacts of extreme weather, ultimately improving productivity and livelihoods.

NiMet plays a central role in Nigeria’s agricultural and climate information systems, providing early warning advisories, seasonal climate predictions, and digital climate services. This partnership builds on that foundation by integrating AI into forecasting systems, strengthening institutional capacity, and enhancing how information is communicated—expanding the reach and effectiveness of advisory services so more farmers receive timely, relevant information to support decision-making.

Nigeria was among the first cohort of countries to participate in the AI Weather Forecasting Training Program launched by AIM for Scale, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and the University of Chicago in Abu Dhabi in September 2025. The program is designed to give countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America the tools and autonomy to generate and deliver forecasts locally, ensuring these innovations reach farmers where they are most needed.

AIM for Scale is also partnering with the African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) to bring both in-country expertise to collaborations with NiMet and other meteorological services in the region. Together, they will support the integration of AI-based forecasting into national systems and build the capacity needed to sustain it over time.
The MoU also establishes a framework for joint activities, including technical collaboration, capacity building, coordinated outreach, and resource mobilization to support long-term implementation.

Prof. Charles Anosike, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, emphasized the importance of the partnership in advancing Nigeria’s weather and climate services to the benefit of farmers:
“Providing accurate and timely weather and climate information is essential for national development, food security, and disaster risk management. This collaboration with AIM for Scale will strengthen our ability to deliver actionable climate services to farmers and other stakeholders, while advancing innovation in forecasting through the integration of AI and data-driven tools.”

Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale and Professor at University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, highlighted the opportunity to translate innovation into large-scale impact:
“Farmers rely on weather to make some of their most important decisions. By working with NiMet to integrate AI-based forecasting into existing advisory channels, we can ensure that accurate, timely, and actionable information reaches millions of farmers. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that evidence-backed solutions reach farmers in ways that meaningfully improve their livelihoods.”

AIM for Scale Partners with ADB to Accelerate Scaling of Agricultural Innovations across Asia and the Pacific

Two men behind desk shake hands and hold up documents. There are two men behind them on stage.

Manila, Philippines — March 19, 2026 — The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration in scaling evidence-based agricultural innovations through ADB-financed programs across Asia and the Pacific.

For millions of farmers, access to timely information, productivity-enhancing solutions, and better services can significantly strengthen livelihoods. Yet too many promising agricultural innovations remain stuck in small pilots, reaching only a fraction of the farmers who could benefit. AIM for Scale–funded by the UAE’s International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation–works to close this gap by identifying evidence-based, cost-effective innovations and assembling the technical expertise, partnerships, and catalytic resources needed to scale them. Through this cooperation, ADB brings its deep country engagement and financing capacity to translate these proven solutions into large-scale investments capable of reaching millions of farmers across Asia and the Pacific.

The agreement establishes a formal framework for cooperation between the two organizations, with the goal of helping governments integrate proven agricultural innovations into large-scale public investments and national development programs.

Under the arrangement, AIM for Scale and ADB will work together to scale high-impact agricultural solutions in areas including weather services for farmers, digital advisory services for agriculture, and innovations that improve livestock productivity, with the potential to expand collaboration into additional innovation areas in the future.

The agreement was signed during the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum at ADB headquarters in Manila as part of a session focused on moving agricultural innovations from research and pilot programs into large-scale implementation.

“ADB is committed to supporting our member countries in transforming food systems and improving farmers’ livelihoods,” said Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, in his opening remarks. “Working with AIM for Scale will help accelerate the adoption of proven innovations and strengthen pathways from research to large-scale investment.”

Nobel laureate Michael Kremer, who chairs AIM for Scale’s Advisory Panel and delivered the keynote address, highlighted the initiative’s focus on translating evidence into large-scale implementation. “AIM for Scale grew out of the work of the Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture, which identifies innovations with strong evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness. Together with AIM for Scale, we look forward to working closely with ADB to help bring these solutions to scale in the coming years in support of global food security.”

“Achieving meaningful improvements in farmers’ livelihoods requires moving beyond pilots to solutions that reach millions,” said Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale. “ADB has long played a leading role in supporting large-scale agricultural transformation across Asia and the Pacific. By partnering with AIM for Scale, ADB is helping ensure that proven innovations are translated into major public investments capable of delivering impact for millions of farmers.”

The cooperation agreement builds on collaboration between the two organizations since 2024 and reflects a growing emphasis among governments and development partners on scaling innovations that deliver measurable improvements in farmer productivity, resilience, and incomes.

Introducing the AIM for Scale 2025 Annual Report

Scaling agricultural innovations that strengthen the livelihoods of millions of farmers requires more than promising ideas—it requires evidence, coordination, and pathways to large-scale implementation.

Today, we are pleased to share the AIM for Scale 2025 Annual Report, highlighting the progress made over the past year to help governments and partners scale agricultural innovations that work.

The report outlines advances across AIM for Scale’s Innovation Packages, including efforts to expand access to timely, actionable weather forecasts for farmers, advance digital advisory systems that reach farmers at scale, and initiate work on livestock productivity solutions.

It also reflects growing partnerships with governments, research institutions, and development organizations working to translate evidence into large-scale investments capable of reaching millions of farmers.

The past year demonstrated the growing momentum behind scaling agricultural innovations that deliver measurable impact for farmers.

We invite you to explore the AIM for Scale 2025 Annual Report to learn more about the partnerships, innovations, and country engagements shaping this work.

Read the full report HERE.

Government of Ethiopia Partners with AIM for Scale to Strengthen Digital Advisory Services, AI-based Weather Forecasts for Farmers at Scale

12 people of different nationalities pose for a photo

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — February 6, 2026 — The Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) and the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) have entered into new partnerships with the Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) to enhance the scale and impact of weather services for farmers through Ethiopia’s digital advisory ecosystem. Each Institute has signed a separate Letter of Agreement with AIM, formalizing their collaboration.

Timely and actionable weather information is essential for farmer decision-making. By strengthening national digital advisory systems and integrating AI-based weather forecasting into government processes, the collaboration aims to ensure that reliable information reaches farmers at scale–improving productivity, reducing risk, and building long-term resilience across Ethiopia’s food system.

The collaboration was officially launched this week with a technical workshop on February 2, 2026 convening more than 30 government and technical partners to align on next steps for scaling weather advisories and alerts. The engagement continued on February 6 with a meeting hosted by EMI convening government officials from ATI and the Ministry of Agriculture to explore institutional alignment and coordination to scale these efforts in the lead-up to COP32, which will be held in Addis Ababa.

The Human-Centered Weather Forecasts (HCWF) Initiative at the University of Chicago has signed on as a partner under the EMI agreement, providing their expertise to support AI model benchmarking, operationalization, and capacity building. This work is supported by the Gates Foundation and complements global efforts to ensure farmers in low- and middle-income countries can benefit from cutting-edge technologies.

This multistakeholder collaboration is also driven by Precision Development (PxD), which is supporting the design and testing of farmer-centered advisory messages to enhance access and adoption. AIM for Scale, HCWF, and PxD previously partnered to support the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to reach 38 million farmers with AI-based weather forecasts during the 2025 monsoon season.

The initiative will also benefit from the expertise of the social enterprise Connect for Impact Advisory Group (C4Impact), founded by Agnes Kalibata, former Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda and former President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. C4Impact works with African governments and their partners to accelerate food system transformation in support of inclusive growth, resilience, and long-term food security.

Dr. Fetene Teshome, Director General of EMI, underscored the importance of strengthening the link between artificial intelligence and real-world applications: “Climate variability is projected to continue increasing. This is likely to result in more irregular onset and cessation of the rainy season, longer dry spells, and periods of excessive rainfall. As a result, farming systems and other sectors of the economy are becoming increasingly vulnerable. The role of climate information in minimizing risks and optimizing opportunities is therefore non-debatable. The Ethiopian Meteorological Institute is working with AIM for Scale and the University of Chicago to ensure that climate information leads to better, more actionable decisions, leveraging new AI tools.”

Dr. Firew Tegegne, Deputy Director General of ATI, noted that the agreement represents an important step in Ethiopia’s digital transformation agenda. “Our goal at ATI is to ensure that farmers across Ethiopia have reliable access to timely, relevant, and actionable information. This agreement strengthens our national systems and supports our efforts to scale advisory services that reach millions of farmers.”

Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale and Professor at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, highlighted Ethiopia’s leadership in adopting scalable digital solutions for agriculture. “We’ve seen the impact that digital advisory services can have in improving the lives of farmers. By integrating AI-powered tools and enhancing delivery channels, we can provide more accurate, tailored, and timely information to millions of farmers. AIM for Scale is honored to partner with ATI and EMI to support Ethiopia’s national priorities of strengthening its agriculture sector through technology and innovation.”

Together, these efforts position Ethiopia to build one of the most advanced digital advisory ecosystems on the continent—combining government leadership, cutting-edge research, strong development partnerships, and a commitment to delivering real value for farmers.

Government representatives and partners convened at the February 2 technical workshop to align on next steps for scaling weather advisories and alerts.

About the Partners

ATI

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is centered on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country, for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. The ATI has reached close to 5 million small holder farmers, delivered over 400 strategic studies, and implemented over 60 innovative projects.

EMI

The Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI) was established as an autonomous government organization in 1980 under proclamation No 201/1980 and the institute has 11 regional meteorological service centers. The main roles and responsibilities of EMI are to provide weather, climate forecast and early warning services by collecting and analyzing meteorological information. The institute focuses on three strategic issues. These are to ensure meteorological data coverage, quality and access, providing accurate and reliable meteorological forecast and early warning advisory service and conducting research on climate research. The Ethiopian Meteorological Institute has established 1400 manned meteorological stations, 300 automatic weather stations, one radar, three upper air stations, 11 geonet cast stations, and 4kmx4km gridded datasets.

AIM for Scale

AIM for Scale is a global initiative supported by the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court of the UAE and the Gates Foundation to scale evidence-based, cost-effective innovations that improve farmer livelihoods and food security in low- and middle-income countries.

Building Climate Services That Work for Farmers: Coordinating Global, Regional, and National Action for Scaled Impact

Six people posing on stage at a COP30 event

On 19 November at COP30, AIM for Scale and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) co-organized a panel discussion focused on the important interplay between global, regional, and national institutions in delivering timely, actionable weather and climate information to farmers. The discussion brought together:

Paul Winters, Executive Director, AIM for Scale (moderator)
Ousmane Ndiaye, Director-General, ACMAD
Albert Fischer, Director, WIGOS Division, WMO
Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director for Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Office, ADB
Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director, Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems, Gates Foundation
Maja Schling, Senior Economist, IDB

Speakers emphasized that strengthening climate services for agriculture requires collaboration across the entire climate information ecosystem—from the global scientific standards set by WMO, to the regional coordination provided by ACMAD, to country-level implementation led by government and supported by AIM for Scale. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) play a central role in financing and embedding these systems sustainably, while donor partners such as the Gates Foundation are unlocking new investments in AI-powered data, benchmarking for accuracy, and last-mile delivery approaches that can ensure millions of farmers benefit.

People-Centered Climate Services

A core theme throughout the session was that the effectiveness of climate services depends on understanding and responding to farmers’ realities. Weather information only becomes valuable when it is:

delivered at the right time,
through the right channels,
in the right formats,
and aligned with the decisions farmers must make.

Speakers emphasized that messaging must be people-centered and grounded in human-centered design. The “last mile”—ensuring National Meteorological and Hydrological services (NMHSs) and agricultural extension systems can reach farmers with practical, local guidance—is where climate services succeed or fail. Trust is also essential: in many communities, weather understanding has been passed down for generations, and new tools take time—often multiple seasons—to gain acceptance. While emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence played a prominent role in the discussions, panelists underscored that technology on its own is insufficient. They stressed the importance of farmer engagement and co-production to ensure that services genuinely address farmers’ decision-making needs and help build lasting confidence and partnerships.

Connecting Global Models to Local Realities

Panelists underscored that no single institution can deliver farmer-relevant climate services alone. Instead, impact emerges when each level of the system plays its role:

Global Level (WMO)

WMO provides the backbone for climate and weather services through its global standards for observation (WIGOS), its data-sharing infrastructure (WIS), and its global and regional data-processing system (WIPPS). These systems, along with WMO’s scientific frameworks, support both traditional physics based forecasting and new AI-enabled tools. Close coordination with NMHSs ensures that programmes remain aligned with WMO priorities, member needs, and ongoing initiatives, particularly in advancing the use of climate services within the agriculture sector.

Regional Level (ACMAD)

ACMAD’s role in harmonizing regional knowledge, fostering data sharing, and connecting NMHSs across Africa is critical for scaling best practices across borders. As WMO’s designated Regional Climate Center for Africa, ACMAD serves as a key driver in advancing and supporting these collective efforts.

National Level (Governments with AIM for Scale Support)

In collaboration with partners like University of Chicago’s Human-Center Forecasts Initiative and Precision Development, AIM for Scale works directly with governments to embed innovations—such as AI-powered weather services—into national programs, strengthen institutions, and help countries deliver tailored guidance to farmers.

Speakers agreed that embedding AI within government systems, not in parallel structures, is essential for long-term sustainability.

Investing in Accuracy, Delivery, and Evidence

The Gates Foundation highlighted three key investment areas shaping the next generation of climate services:

AI-powered and inclusive data systems to improve the precision and accessibility of forecasts.
Rigorous benchmarking to evaluate real-world model performance across East and West Africa and ensure tools reflect local conditions.
Innovations in dissemination, including A/B testing across SMS, voice, apps, radio, and intermediaries to understand what actually drives farmer behavior.

Panelists emphasized that impact evaluation is non-negotiable. Understanding whether farmers are using information—and how it affects their decisions—allows institutions to refine delivery approaches and build evidence for scale.

Strengthening Institutions and Policies for Scalable, Sustainable Systems

Several speakers addressed a persistent barrier: fragmentation within government systems. Meteorological agencies, agriculture ministries, digital transformation units, and extension networks often work in parallel, leading to gaps in data flow and inconsistent messaging.

To overcome this, the panel highlighted the need for:

Inter-ministerial coordination and shared standards
Clear data-sharing policies across government agencies
Consistent, reliable national forecasting systems and delivery infrastructure
Capacity strengthening for meteorological and agricultural institutions
Standardized forecasting methodologies to ensure consistent, actionable outputs

Better alignment among government actors is essential for scaling innovations to reach millions of farmers in an efficient and unified way.

Scaling What Works: A Shared Imperative

Across all institutions represented, there was consensus that scale matters. Reaching tens of thousands of farmers is not enough to meaningfully improve food security or climate resilience. AI-powered forecasts, integrated climate services, coproduction to ensure services respond to the real decision needs of farmers and innovative dissemination tools must reach millions—ideally hundreds of millions—to match the scale of the challenges ahead.

The COP30 discussion made clear that scaling is possible when:

Global scientific leadership
Regional coordination structures
National government implementation mechanisms
Sustainable financing from multilateral development banks
And catalytic donor support

are aligned toward a common goal.

Looking Ahead

As climate risks intensify, the need for timely, accurate, farmer-centered climate services will only grow. WMO, ACMAD, and AIM for Scale are committed to advancing this work—together with governments, multilateral development banks, research institutions, and donors—to ensure that the world’s farmers have the information they need to make informed decisions, adapt to a changing climate, and strengthen their livelihoods.

The path forward is clear: stronger coordination, smarter technology, more robust institutions, and a relentless focus on farmers. With these elements in place, climate services can move from isolated innovations to national programs capable of delivering impact at scale.

AIM for Scale Mobilizes Global Effort to Reach 100 Million Farmers With Digital Advisory Services by 2030

Nine people posing in front of COP30 Brasilia signage

Belém, Brazil. | 11 November, 2025 – At COP30, the Agricultural Innovation

Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) announced a joint ambition to reach 100 million farmers with digital advisory services by 2030. Supported by the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gates Foundation, the coalition brings together the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and the Governments of Ethiopia and India, among others, under the stewardship of AIM for Scale.

These efforts aim to deliver science-based insights–such as weather forecasts, pest advisories, or soil information–directly to farmers, improving decision-making, productivity, and climate resilience at scale. This milestone is tied to AIM for Scale’s new Innovation Package on Digital Advisory Services for Agriculture and builds on its previous Innovation Package on Weather Forecasts for Farmers, launched at COP29, which mobilized over $1 billion in commitments from multilateral development banks and partners to scale weather services for farmers.

Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Chair of the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court, emphasized: “Around the world, millions of farmers face climate uncertainty every day. Turning that uncertainty into opportunity is what drives us. This is a testament to the UAE’s global role – not only in advancing innovative solutions, but in collaborating with global partners to adopt and scale them. AIM for Scale embodies this vision – bringing together governments, development banks, and partners to channel investment into solutions that can be deployed widely and sustainably, improving livelihoods and strengthening food systems around the world.”

Partner Highlights

As a key member of the AIM for Scale partnership, the Asian Development Bank is committed to helping 20 million farmers across the Asia and the Pacific region to access timely advisories backed by weather forecasts, as part of its commitment to help improve food production. Noelle O’Brien, Director of Climate Change at the Asian Development Bank, explained that “ADB is engaging in this partnership to promote the use of digital solutions as well as catalyze more investments into weather and climate information services to aid agriculture production.”

In Ethiopia, the Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is partnering with AIM for Scale to provide tailored advisories to more than seven million farmers through the country’s trusted 8028 Hotline. Beginning in 2026, AIM for Scale will expand collaboration with multilateral development banks and governments in eleven additional countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to embed digital advisory services into national agricultural systems. Through these partnerships, AIM for Scale aims to reach 100 million farmers globally by 2030, enabling them to access timely, actionable information that supports more resilient and productive agricultural livelihoods.

Partners are already making significant progress toward this shared goal. In India, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare delivered AI-based monsoon onset forecasts via SMS to 38 million farmers earlier this year—the largest effort to date to provide targeted, AI-driven weather information. Monitoring surveys in two states showed near-universal interest in receiving future forecasts (97–98%), underscoring the high value farmers place on these services.

“This program harnesses the revolution in AI-based weather forecasting to predict the arrival of continuous rains, empowering farmers to plan agricultural activities with greater confidence and manage risks,” noted Pramod Meherda, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India. “We look forward to continuing to improve this effort in future years.”

This milestone was made possible partly through a collaboration between the Human-Centered Weather Forecasts Initiative at the University of Chicago and Precision Development–supported by AIM for Scale–which helped advance the scientific foundation of the project and ensure that forecasts were communicated clearly and effectively. “These forecasts were successful in many ways, including by correctly predicting a pause in the northward progression of the monsoon,” noted Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer, co-Director of the Human-Centered Weather Forecasts Initiative and Chair of AIM for Scale’s Advisory Panel. “No other forecasts provided guidance to farmers on this unusual progression, especially with a two-to-four-week lead time. This illustrates how advances in AI weather forecasting can translate into practical, decision-relevant information for farmers–often delivered at very low cost.”

To sustain these advances, partners launched the AIM for Scale AI Weather Forecasting for Agriculture Training Program in Abu Dhabi–a collaboration between the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the UAE National Center for Meteorology, and the University of Chicago. The program, supported by the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court of the UAE, brought together meteorological and agricultural agencies from Bangladesh, Chile, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria for intensive, hands-on training in September 2025 and will expand to 25 additional countries by 2027.

“Our goal is simple,” said Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale and Professor at the University of Notre Dame Keough School of Global Affairs. “Every farmer—regardless of where they live—should have access to the information they need to confidently make decisions that will strengthen their livelihoods. Reaching 100 million farmers is ambitious, but by working together and investing in scalable, evidence-based solutions, it’s within reach.”

Building on early commitments from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Ethiopia, and continued progress in India, other partners are working closely with AIM for Scale to facilitate the scaling of digital advisory services, as well as design complementary initiatives to sustain long-term impact.

“By collaborating with partners like AIM for Scale, we can bring the best technical expertise to our region, adapt proven models to local contexts, and contribute lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean to global knowledge,” commented Morgan Doyle, General Manager of the Southern Cone Regional Country Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). “The IDB is committed to helping every country in the Americas turn innovation into inclusion—building food systems that are more productive, resilient, and adaptive. With the partnerships we forge here at COP30, we can ensure that digital agriculture reaches every corner of our region—so that by 2030, innovation truly impacts everyone.”

These efforts are reinforced by new strategic investments from the Gates Foundation, which are advancing forecast benchmarking across Africa to evaluate the real-world performance of AI models and ensure innovations deliver measurable value for farmers. “While these models have transformative potential, it is essential to evaluate them locally to ensure they appropriately represent local conditions for small-scale farmers, policy makers, and private enterprise use,” noted Neil Hausmann, Principal Officer at the Gates Foundation.

The Gates Foundation investments in benchmarking will be channeled to AIM for Scale partner the Human-Centered Forecast Initiative at University of Chicago, co-directed by Amir Jina, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago and Chair of the AIM for Scale Weather Forecasts for Farmers Technical Panel. “Last-mile delivery is where digital advisory services succeed or fail,” said Professor Jina, speaking from COP30. “We need to rigorously test what works for farmers in real conditions—how messages are delivered, understood, and acted upon. The more we learn from those interactions, the more effective and scalable digital systems become.”

The Economist Covers India Monsoon Forecast Project

In an article titled “AI models ace their predictions of India’s monsoon rains,” The Economist spotlights India’s pioneering use of artificial intelligence to forecast the monsoon—an initiative that delivered AI-powered rainfall predictions to 38 million farmers this year. The article highlights how machine learning is transforming one of the world’s most complex weather systems into actionable information for farmers. AIM for Scale provided catalytic support to scientific partners leading this work.

AIM for Scale’s Weather Forecast for Farmers Technical Panel member Pedram Hassanzadeh is quoted in the piece, emphasizing the potential for AI to “democratize weather forecasting” by reducing dependence on expensive supercomputers and data-intensive models.

Building on this success, AIM for Scale aims to extend farmer-centered weather forecasting to 11 additional countries by 2030.

Read the full article HERE.

News Category: Weather