Is integrating sophisticated AI and blockchain technologies in food supply chains a route to reducing food insecurity in the Global South?

This article examines the complex challenge of food insecurity in the Global South, where inadequate infrastructure, fragmented markets, and climate change significantly hinder efficient food supply chains. It explores the potential of integrating advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain to mitigate these issues. AI offers predictive capabilities for crop yield, demand, and prices, alongside computer vision for disease detection and climate monitoring. Blockchain technology can enhance food traceability, safety, and transparency through immutable records. However, the article argues that despite their theoretical promise, the practical implementation of these sophisticated technologies faces significant infrastructural, financial, and environmental limitations in developing regions. Without substantial external investment in basic infrastructure, reliable connectivity, and affordable power, these digital solutions alone are unlikely to overcome the widespread structural obstacles to food security. The conclusion emphasises that a successful approach must be financially accessible, environmentally sustainable, and culturally appropriate, rather than relying solely on poorly contextualised technological integration.