The University of Minnesota is set to receive a $20 million grant over five years from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to lead the AI Institute for Climate-Land Interactions, Mitigation, Adaptation, Tradeoffs and Economy (AI-Climate). The initiative will use artificial intelligence to develop climate-friendly practices in the agricultural and forestry industries and to generate carbon credits.
Running river in a forest, Northern Minnesota.
AI-Climate is a collaborative effort between the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering; the Minnesota Robotics Institute; the Data Science Institute; the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences; and the Office of the Vice President for Research. The initiative also involves experts from Cornell University, Colorado State University, Delaware State University, Purdue University, and North Carolina State University.
Read more: The roots of a sustainable future: integrating trees into a circular economy
The current methods used to measure carbon sequestration for farmers and foresters are both expensive and difficult. AI-Climate is developing user-friendly tools that use artificial intelligence neural networks to measure carbon sequestration and generate images of the soil. Shashi Shekhar, the director of the institute and a professor in the College of Science and Engineering, said this will save farmers and foresters time, energy, and money.
The goal of AI-Climate is to develop climate-friendly agricultural and forestry practices that intersect with federal programmes for sustainable development. It is one of seven new NSF and NIFA-funded AI institutes announced this week and is part of a larger federal initiative to promote collaborative artificial intelligence research, which is set to receive almost half a billion dollars in funding. The researchers also plan to work with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the tribal nations it represents.
For DGB Group, technology plays a crucial role in achieving a sustainable future. We recognise the importance of supporting the implementation of carbon-removal projects with cutting-edge technology to achieve the greatest impact. By utilising technology to monitor and optimise our large-scale projects, we can ensure that they are as efficient and effective as possible. We are confident that by using innovative technology, we can create sustainable solutions that have a lasting positive impact on the environment. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in pursuit of a greener future.
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