MSU, FAO align in Rome to strengthen digital agriculture capabilities, practices
A current international partnership between Mississippi State University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, is strengthening the collaboration between these two institutions to help grow digital capabilities for sustainable agricultural practices globally.
MSU Geosystems Research Institute’s John Cartwright, an assistant extension professor, and Dixie Cartwright, a training and external facilitator, are working closely with the FAO’s Land and Water, or NSL, Division and Office of Innovation in Rome, Italy, to support the organization’s digital outreach and capacity-building initiatives. With 197 members and a presence in 130 countries worldwide, FAO is a specialized agency of the U.N. that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David R. Shaw, a former director of MSU’s Geosystems Research Institute, said, “This partnership underscores Mississippi State’s commitment to advancing agricultural practices worldwide and strengthening international development through technical training and digital extension expertise.”
In partnership with the organization’s NSL Division, Dixie Cartwright is working to enhance advanced technology capacity-building efforts by providing beginner and advanced Python data processing and analysis training to FAO employees, equipping them with essential skills critical for modern agricultural research and decision-making.
The NSL Division’s dedication to improving the sustainable use of land, soil and water resources globally is boosted by this foundational skills training, enabling teams to efficiently analyze complex agricultural datasets and provide sustainable solutions for land and water management challenges.
Senior Land and Water Officer Livia Peiser said, “Digital technologies and Earth observation are essential tools for tackling the complex challenges of sustainable agriculture and food security in our rapidly changing world. As environmental pressures intensify and populations grow, these technologies enable us to monitor, analyze and respond to land and water management needs, ultimately supporting more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.”
In an additional alliance with the international agency’s Office of Innovation, John Cartwright is discussing MSU’s successful approaches to digitally enabled extension. Through presentations and discussions, he is demonstrating the university’s use of mobile platforms, data-driven insights and virtual learning also to support FAO staff. With shared, practical case studies, John is helping them explore new, adaptable digital extension methods suited to diverse agricultural communities worldwide.
Office of Innovation Senior Officer Selvaraju Ramasamy said, “Digital extension and advisory services are crucial for agrifood system transformation through improving uptake, adoption and scale-up of technologies and innovations relevant to the smallholder farmers considering potential risks and opportunities, and also by strengthening capacities of extension systems and farmers to use and benefit from digital technologies.”
In turn, the FAO can benefit from these digital methods to extend the reach and impact of its extension services, providing farmers and communities with timely, accessible information to improve productivity, resilience and food security.
For more information on the FAO, visit www.fao.org.
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Harriet Laird | Public Affairs
