AIFS AgTech Challenges and Hackathons bring together undergraduate and graduate students for a weekend of intensive problem-solving, app development, and prototyping to develop solutions that impact food and agriculture.

Each event kicks off with the formation of teams. Students with different skill sets from a variety of disciplines, degrees, and majors are matched up to ensure balanced teams.

Throughout the weekend, participants receive guidance of mentors from across academia and industry. On the last day, teams put together a short pitch-style presentation and demo of their project for judging.

At our latest event, teams developed and prototyped app-based solutions to challenges faced by the state level support system for farmers, typically found within Agricultural Extension Services. For California, that function is provided by UC-ANR’s many state-wide extension offices.

Digital Green provided their platform and API for the event.

At earlier hackathons, student teams worked on app-based solutions to solve challenges spanning the food system. Each event has a slightly different focus, but the challenges always fit within AIFS’ research themes:

(a) Food systems supply chain resiliency,

(b) AI-driven food systems to improve human health and nutrition, and

(c) AI for climate adaptability and sustainability.

Upcoming Hackathons or Challenges

Spring 2025: registration opens in April 2025