Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
Sankar Chinnathambi on AI, Forecasting, and Digital Agriculture at Driscoll’s
Why It Matters
The conversation highlights how AI and integrated data can solve real‑world challenges in food supply chains, ensuring fresher produce reaches consumers while reducing waste. For anyone in agriculture, retail, or technology, the episode shows a concrete, large‑scale example of digital tools turning perishable goods into a reliable, sustainable business.
Key Takeaways
- •Digital agronomist AI assists growers with real-time pest solutions.
- •"2-2-2" protocol cools berries to 2°C within two hours.
- •Oracle Fusion ERP unifies global supply chain operations.
- •AI forecasts supply, optimizes pricing, and reduces R&D cycle time.
- •BerryGPT provides internal, context‑specific AI insights for staff.
Pulse Analysis
Driscoll’s, the world’s largest berry producer, moves roughly four billion clamshells annually across 30 growing regions and 60 countries. With a ten‑day shelf life for most berries, the supply chain must move fruit from field to consumer in hours, not days. As chief information officer, Sankar Chinnathambi oversees infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, and global IT teams spread from the United States to Morocco. His mandate is to modernize legacy systems, create a single digital backbone, and embed technology that keeps perishable berries fresh while aligning growers, distributors, and shoppers.
Key to that modernization is a suite of AI‑driven tools. The “digital agronomist” uses camera‑based imaging and machine‑learning models to diagnose pests and recommend compliant pesticide treatments, giving growers instant, context‑specific advice. A supply‑forecasting engine replaces manual flower‑count estimates with predictive analytics, while pricing‑optimization algorithms balance grower profit‑sharing and market rates. Driscoll’s also instituted the “2‑2‑4” protocol—cooling berries to 2 °C within two hours of harvest and maintaining that temperature throughout distribution.
Underpinning these initiatives is Oracle Fusion ERP, which standardizes processes across continents. The AI platform dubbed BerryGPT extends internal knowledge, allowing employees to query company‑specific data rather than generic internet results, accelerating decision‑making in R&D, sales, and operations. Together, these technologies support Driscoll’s three strategic pillars: growth through scalable digital services, sustainability via reduced waste and energy‑efficient cooling, and resilience through robust cybersecurity and 24/7 system availability. For business leaders, the case illustrates how a legacy food company can leverage enterprise AI, real‑time data, and a unified ERP to turn a fragile, perishable product into a reliable, globally coordinated revenue engine.
Episode Description
How do you apply AI to one of the world’s most perishable supply chains?
In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Sankar Chinnathambi, CIO of Driscoll’s, the world’s largest berry company. With operations spanning more than 30 growing regions and products sold in approximately 60 countries, Driscoll’s faces a unique challenge: moving billions of berries from harvest to consumers while preserving freshness and quality.
Sankar discusses how Driscoll’s is using AI, predictive analytics, and digital platforms to improve grower collaboration, supply forecasting, pricing optimization, and supply chain visibility. He also shares the company’s broader modernization strategy, including ERP transformation, BerryGPT, and technology initiatives designed to accelerate innovation while supporting growth, sustainability, and resilience.
Key discussion topics include:
Building an AI-powered digital agronomist
Modernizing forecasting in a supply-constrained business
Creating a global digital backbone with Oracle Fusion
Using real-time monitoring to preserve product quality
Accelerating agricultural innovation through technology
This episode is presented by Celonis — Give AI the context it needs. Learn more at celonis.com
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