Page 101 - FoodFocusThailand No.234 September 2025

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STAND OUT TECHNOLOGYAND OUT TECHNOLOGY

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence

to Optimize the Food Supply Chain

It is well known that Thailand’s food industry plays a vital role and holds a prominent position on the global
stage. The country has earned international recognition as the “Kitchen of the World,” renowned for its
vibrant street food culture. In 2024, Thailand ranked as the world’s 12 largest food exporter, with a total
th
export value of 1.63 trillion baht. Continuous development is therefore essential to sustain and enhance
this global standing.

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has driven rapid 4. Integrating AI with business rules to enhance the value
adaptation and change. The agriculture and food industry is of culinary tourism
one of the eight key sectors in Thailand that the government 5. Analyzing school lunch menus for nutritional content, cost
prioritizes for AI adoption to promote industrial advancement. control, and recommending alternative or locally appropriate
A survey on AI adoption conducted by the Electronic dishes
Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), in collaboration These projects demonstrate Thailand’s ongoing efforts
with the National Science and Technology Development to apply AI in the food industry. However, each aspect of this
Agency (NSTDA), revealed that 17.8% of businesses have industry faces various challenges.
already implemented AI, while 73.3% are considering its In the raw materials sector, Thailand still faces low yields
adoption. Furthermore, a survey on the readiness of industrial per unit area. Therefore, the application of AI technology for
factories indicated that the food and beverage sector is production management—such as soil and water management
relatively well-prepared in terms of personnel and system and fertilizer optimization—is a viable approach to improve
infrastructure. However, production lines still require quality performance. Additionally, uncontrollable factors, such as
improvements to fully enable the effective utilization of AI. plant diseases, pests, and natural climate changes (e.g.,
global warming), pose significant challenges. The use of AI in
Transforming the Food Supply Chain with AI conjunction with image and video technology to collect relevant
The application of AI in the food industry requires a holistic data for training AI to recognize plant diseases and insect types
approach that encompasses raw materials, production, is crucial. Implementing sensor technology to closely monitor
processing, logistics, and transportation, as well as trade water, soil, temperature, and other factors affecting plant growth
and export strategies. In Thailand, various projects have is also of great importance.
explored AI applications, such as: In the manufacturing sector, adapting production lines
1. Using AI to detect plant diseases from photographs to meet increasing demand and controlling various production
(e.g., rice, cassava) processes to minimize errors is essential. The promotion
2. Distinguishing between high-quality and substandard of automation for machinery control is necessary to drive
products on production lines transformation toward a higher level of industrialization,
3. Leveraging IoT technology to collect animal growth addressing the growing labor shortage. Facilitating the
data for analyzing product quality (e.g., nutritional value, transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
quality, and taste of beef and dairy cattle)
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