With the world’s population expected to reach ten billion by mid-century, agriculture must produce more with less – every season, everywhere. The knowledge and tools to end and prevent food insecurity are already in hand, but they have yet to be used wisely and at scale.
In 2004, Aceh was hardest hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2025, Indonesia’s most disaster-aware province was among the worst hit by floods. The failure was not forecasting, but what happened – or didn’t – after the alarms were raised.
The resistance to Artificial Intelligence will come from the social disruption it will bring – and data centres will be where that backlash lands first. Investors in AI must ensure that its benefits are shared across society, harm is reduced, and value created locally.
Kerala’s experience in fighting poverty holds some important lessons for developing Asean countries. The Indian state removed severe destitution by addressing nutritional, health and educational needs.