Toward Climate-Smart Agriculture: An Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) -Centric Edge AI Architecture for Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

This paper introduces Edge Fluent, a novel Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-oriented Internet of Things (IoT) edge architecture designed to empower smallholder farmers in the agri-dairy sector through inclusive artificial intelligence (AI). Central to the system is a fine-tuned, multi-label DistilBERT model deployed on low-power, resource-constrained edge devices, enabling real-time ESG classification, multilingual translation of regulatory content, and actionable intervention support. By addressing the pervasive barrier of language accessibility—particularly among non-English-speaking and low-literacy farming communities—the platform ensures equitable delivery of ESG intelligence and climate-resilient decision-making.Validated through live deployments on dairy farms equipped with Class 10 veterinary sensors and farmer interfaces in native dialects, the solution facilitates methane emission tracking, rumination-based health monitoring, feed optimization, and Scope 1–3 emissions traceability. Designed for offline inference and multimodal sensor inputs, the system reinforces ESG compliance, sustainable certification, and data harmonization across distributed farm networks. Ultimately, this architecture advances UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by embedding linguistic inclusion at the core of climate-smart agriculture and redefining sustainability through equitable technological integration.

Keywords: ESG Intelligence, IoT Edge Computing, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Dairy Industry, DistilBERT

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006928