Modern farming technologies have eased the burden of hard labour for many farmers worldwide. However, many of the world’s farmers – mainly small scale farmers – still lack the technology to efficiently reap their crops. From a single farmer in Africa servicing his local community to the overarching need to meet the demands of the world’s growing population, farming technologies are crucial to the evolution of the farming industry. But what does this evolution of both farmer and industry entail? In a new book called, Mechanization for Rural Development: A review of patterns and progress from around the world, FAO takes a critical look at the mechanization of the world’s fields. It draws on lessons from those regions keeping up with the needs of today’s farmers and also the regions lagging behind.