How to use artificial intelligence to innovate the agri-food sector

Developing key skills to apply artificial intelligence to the agri-food sector. This is the goal of the new project that Coop, in collaboration with the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability – Eiis, dedicates to its community of young people (18-30 years), looking for all those who are passionate about technology, Ai and food.
“Ai for Food” is a 50-hour training course divided into three phases, which will take place between June and December and aims to develop integrative artificial intelligence models that can innovate the entire agri-food supply chain. Registration is open on coop.it/AI-for-Food and closes on May 25. After enrollment, participants will be contacted for interviews and the selection that will allow access to the course.
There are three phases . It begins with asynchronous online lessons aimed at allowing participants to acquire the first basic knowledge and reach a homogeneous level of initial preparation. The second step, always online for the 150 most active participants, includes four dynamic and interactive meetings held in talk show style with experts to satisfy curiosity and deepen the most interesting ideas learned on the topic.

Then, for the 50 most active and prepared participants, a trip will arrive during the Italian Tech Week 2025 from 1 to 3 October in Turin, a prestigious showcase of technological innovation. Here they will come into contact with investors and leaders of the sector to gather further creative ideas. Divided into multidisciplinary teams and guided by a mentorship session of Eiis experts, the participants will develop concrete proposals based on Ai tools to innovate the Coop value chain. Finally, the best projects will be presented in December at the Demo Day with the management of Coop .
The “AI for Food” project is the ideal continuation of a path of attention and awareness that is part of Coop's activities aimed at the Coop Youth Experience , Coop's community of young people between 18 and 30 years old . In recent years, always following the criterion of cooperating together, 10 thousand trees have been planted in 10 provincial capitals, starting from Milan in 2021 and then in 2022 around Italy to plant and clean up gardens, meadows and woods, in Rome in 2023 the community has committed to awareness-raising actions on the issues of energy saving and redevelopment of urban areas, always with a green focus.
Hence also the creation of a mural in the square of the Rebibbia Metro station, created with smog-eating paint, which launches a message of denunciation of the ongoing climate crisis.
And in 2024, over 400 young people participated in the “Sea Explorers” training course for the training of marine guides. Online lessons, onsea experiences and for the 10 best among them, a weekend on the racing boat partner of Coop, Anywave, to see up close what they studied.
In the opening image a detail of the course flyer
Vita.it