Beyond Producing: Rethinking Global Food Security Through Connected Trade
Beyond Producing is becoming an important consideration in the global food security debate, as governments and businesses look beyond agricultural output to the systems that move food from farms to consumers. Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb, Founder and Chairman of T57.AI, believes stronger food security will depend not only on producing enough food but also on improving the infrastructure that connects producers with markets.
Speaking at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh, Nakheeb highlighted the fragmented nature of global food trade, where agriculture, logistics, finance, compliance, payments and technology often operate across disconnected systems.
“Food security is not simply about producing more food. It is also about whether food can actually move efficiently from where it is produced to where it is needed,” Nakheeb said.
His argument places supply-chain connectivity at the centre of the food security challenge. Even when food is available, delays in financing, transportation, customs clearance or trade documentation can disrupt its movement and affect access to markets.
For T57.AI, the opportunity lies in developing digital infrastructure that helps connect these different parts of global food trade and supports more efficient cross-border transactions.
Beyond Producing: Why Food Security Needs Connected Supply Chains
Food security involves more than agricultural production. It also depends on the systems responsible for moving, financing and delivering food to the places where it is needed.
Between a farmer and the final buyer, a typical food transaction may involve traders, financial institutions, warehouses, transport providers, regulators, customs authorities and technology platforms. Each participant performs a different role, but the overall transaction depends on how effectively these activities work together.
When information is fragmented or processes are delayed, businesses can face uncertainty over payments, delivery schedules, documentation and product availability. These challenges can affect the efficiency of food distribution, particularly when goods move across international borders.
Nakheeb believes that addressing these gaps requires a more connected approach to food trade. Rather than treating production, finance and logistics as separate challenges, digital infrastructure can help participants coordinate information and transactions across the supply chain.
This is the challenge T57.AI is seeking to address through its work on digital infrastructure for global food trade and food security.
According to Entrepreneur Middle East’s reporting cited in the supplied material, T57.AI has partnerships and trade corridors spanning 67 countries and has piloted its model across five countries, completing 34 consignments. The company is currently in operational beta.
These reported activities provide an early indication of the company’s approach to connecting trade participants. However, the longer-term impact will depend on how effectively its infrastructure supports reliable transactions and improves coordination across different markets.
T57.AI Explores Digital Infrastructure for Global Food Trade
T57.AI’s approach centres on improving the connections between the organisations and systems involved in food trade. The objective is to help food, capital and information move more effectively across borders.
Digital infrastructure can support this process by improving information exchange, helping participants assess transaction risks and providing greater visibility into different stages of a supply chain.
For example, buyers and sellers need access to reliable information about counterparties, delivery arrangements and payment terms. Financial institutions require relevant information to evaluate transactions, while logistics providers and other intermediaries need to coordinate their activities to ensure goods reach their destinations.
When these processes operate with limited coordination, individual delays can affect the wider transaction. Better-connected systems may help participants identify problems earlier and make decisions using more complete information.
T57.AI is developing its model around this broader challenge rather than focusing exclusively on agricultural production. Its work reflects the idea that strengthening food security also requires attention to the commercial and operational infrastructure supporting global food distribution.
As the company remains in operational beta, its ability to demonstrate consistent results across trade corridors will be an important factor in assessing the effectiveness of its model.
Why Artificial Intelligence Alone Cannot Solve Food Security
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being applied across agriculture and food supply chains, from analysing weather conditions to identifying patterns in prices, demand and production.
However, Nakheeb argues that AI must be adapted to local conditions rather than treated as a universal solution.
“Food is global, but agriculture is hyperlocal,” he said.
Agricultural conditions can differ significantly even within the same country. In Saudi Arabia, for example, climate, water availability, soil conditions, rainfall and local farming experience can influence which crops and production methods are suitable for a particular region.
AI can process large volumes of satellite imagery, weather information, market prices and supply-and-demand data. These capabilities can help identify patterns and support planning at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through manual analysis alone.
Yet data does not always capture the full context of agricultural decisions. Farmers and local operators often rely on practical experience, observations and knowledge accumulated over time. Some of this understanding may not be documented in datasets or easily translated into a digital model.
For Nakheeb, the challenge is therefore not simply to introduce more AI into food systems. It is to combine technological capabilities with the contextual understanding of the people who work within those systems.
AI + HI: Combining Artificial and Human Intelligence
Nakheeb describes this approach as AI + HI, or Artificial Intelligence combined with Human Intelligence.
The concept recognises that technology and human expertise can serve complementary purposes. AI can help process information, identify trends and provide decision-support insights, while people contribute experience, context and judgment.
“Technology can give us intelligence at scale, while people bring context, experience and judgment. The opportunity is to bring the two together so that we make not only smarter decisions, but wiser ones,” he said.
Applied to agriculture and food trade, this model could help decision-makers evaluate information more effectively while retaining human oversight where local knowledge and accountability matter.
For example, data-driven insights may help identify changes in market demand or potential supply-chain disruptions. Farmers, traders and other experienced participants can then assess those insights against conditions on the ground before deciding how to respond.
The same principle is relevant to financial services, where automated systems can help assess information but may not be sufficient to address every question involving trust, accountability or individual circumstances.
The AI + HI approach therefore places emphasis on using technology to improve decisions without removing the role of human judgment.
Connecting Food Security with Financial Infrastructure
Nakheeb’s participation at Money20/20 Middle East also brought attention to the relationship between food trade and financial infrastructure.
During the panel discussion titled “Can I Trust You With My Money? The Psychology of Financial AI,” he joined Ilya Kravtsov and Yasar Ahmad, with Yana Prikhodchenko as moderator, to discuss trust, human oversight and accountability as AI becomes more involved in financial decision-making.
The official Money20/20 programme described the discussion as an exploration of the decisions consumers may delegate to AI and the importance of consent, explanation and human intervention.
Nakheeb’s contribution centred on maintaining human involvement in the decision-making process.
“AI should advise us and provide the right information, but humans should use that information to make wiser decisions,” he said.
He emphasised that people should remain involved in evaluating information, making final decisions and maintaining accountability.
This principle has implications beyond consumer finance. Global food trade relies on financial systems that help businesses pay suppliers, manage transaction risks and fund
Ahmed Abdul Wasey
Managing Editor, Eat ‘N Stays
Ahmed Abdul Wasey is the Managing Editor in Eat ‘N Stays, overseeing all editorial coverage of travel, hospitality, and food across Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region. He sets the publication’s editorial direction and reviews coverage across hotels, restaurants, tourism, cruise, and industry news before it publishes.
Have a story tip, correction, or question about our coverage? Reach Ahmed directly at pr@eatnstays.com.
