The pressure to transform our food system is at an all-time high. As the climate crisis escalates and consumer demand for sustainability accelerates, there is a growing call for a just transition.
However, we can only achieve a fairer, greener food system if citizens—our workforce—are empowered with the skills to shape it. Across the agrifood sector, a deepening skills gap is widening inequalities, threatening to leave behind the very people whose participation is essential to a sustainable future. The European agrifood sector supports 30 million jobs and contributes €900 billion (US$654 billion) in value. Yet, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports that the sector has the highest rate of skills misalignments across all economic sectors. It is also forecasted that we could lose 13 percent of skilled workers across the next decade, showing these challenges are projected to be amplified in the future.
The challenge is not just about having enough people—it is about ensuring everyone can gain the right skills to contribute meaningfully to a fast-changing food system. This is where AI-driven tools can play a transformative role—helping bridge access gaps, empower overlooked communities, and build resilience and dignity across the labor market.
From rural areas to underrepresented youth, many communities face significant barriers to accessing reskilling and upskilling opportunities. Rural regions, accounting for 80 percent of the EU’s territory, suffer from poor digital infrastructure, limited education provision and underinvestment in innovation—making upskilling even harder. Meanwhile, young people, migrant workers, and other marginalized groups continue to face barriers to entering or advancing within the sector. Despite their potential to drive innovation and sustainability, these communities are often excluded from the very training and opportunities that would allow them to do so.
As the food system undergoes rapid technological and environmental change, failing to close this skills gap risks entrenching inequality. If the food system is to become truly sustainable, inclusive, and resilient, we need to close these access gaps—and we need to do it fast.
AI-driven learning tools offer a unique opportunity to democratize access to skills. By making education more personalized, adaptive, and data-driven, they can connect people to real job opportunities, regardless of their background or location. EIT Food’s Geek4Food Skills Platform, co-developed with SkyHive by Cornerstone and part of a large consortium under the project Global Ecosystems and Expanded Knowledge for skills and capabilities in the food sector, supported by the Erasmus+ program is one such tool. Using AI to continuously map labor market demand, the platform identifies future roles, and the skills needed to fill them—providing learners with tailored, accessible pathways to reskill.
By analyzing a person’s existing experience, transferable skills, and learning preferences, Geek4Food helps make upskilling not only more effective, but more inclusive—enabling the next generation to step into meaningful roles within the evolving food system.
We’re already seeing the impact of AI and innovative technology in action across the agrifood sector. Elanti, an AgriTech startup supported by EIT Food, in collaboration with Bayer, are leveraging machine learning to optimize crop yields and promote regenerative agricultural practices by understanding the soil microbiome. This research could significantly reduce risks of early crop failure and boost plant resilience—demonstrating how digital tools can support both sustainability and innovation. At the same time, Geek4Food is beginning to show how AI can serve as an intelligent bridge—aligning real-world industry needs with individual capabilities. By linking employers, educators, learners and soon, policymakers, the platform has the potential to become a blueprint for inclusive, AI-powered workforce transformation in agriculture and beyond.
Technology is only one part of the equation. To create an equitable skills ecosystem, we need to invest in the social and institutional infrastructure that allows everyone to benefit from innovation.
Policymakers must create environments that support lifelong learning, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This includes funding for digital infrastructure, flexible training pathways, and support for inclusive education initiatives. Employers must also be more transparent about the skills they need—opening opportunities for workers to understand, develop and demonstrate their capabilities. Finally, educators and training providers must embrace new learning models that reflect the realities of the modern labor market—co-created with industry and communities to ensure relevance, accessibility and impact.
Facilitating collaboration across the food system will empower the next generation to shape the future of food, creating a resilient workforce.
AI is not a silver bullet, but it offers a powerful lever to unlock a fairer food future. Used well, it can dismantle barriers, amplify human potential, and connect people to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.
We have the chance to shift the conversation from scarcity to possibility—from skills gaps to skills ecosystems. By investing in inclusive, tech-enabled education, and embedding equity at the heart of our transition, we can build a food system that is not only greener and smarter, but fairer too.
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Photo courtesy of Christopher Hedreyd, Wikimedia Commons
