11/06/2024

Sustainable mechanization and new technologies are transforming the lives of millions of farmers and agrifood systems around the world. The move towards mechanized agriculture includes all levels of farming and processing, from simple hand tools to more sophisticated motorized equipment, digitalization and geospatial technology.

Recognizing the need for sustainable and inclusive change, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held the first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization on 27-29 September 2023 with the theme, “Innovation, Efficiency and Resilience”.

Now a report has been released on the conclusions of FAO’s three-day hybrid event which attracted more than 8 500 participants and 300 in person attendees, with particularly strong interest from Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions.

In view of the numerous challenges farmers face, such as diminished natural resources, degraded soils, declined water and environment, and other impacts of the climate crisis, as well as socio-economic upheaval, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu notes the need to innovate. “We need to innovate and leverage agricultural mechanization and automation as powerful forces to bring about change, but they must be sustainable and economically viable,” he writes in the foreword of the publication.

Innovation and technical advances are changing the agricultural sector at a faster rate than ever before. Cutting-edge technologies, such as satellite systems, robotics, AI and automated equipment are reshaping the future of farming and the lives of those who depend on it. Autonomous drones are monitoring crop health, robots are identifying and removing weeds and even carrying out delicate tasks such as pruning and picking fruit.

Discussions during the conference highlighted the sustainable development of agricultural mechanization, emerging technological developments and related business models, supply chain aspects, agricultural machinery standards and the overall enabling environment for sustainable agricultural mechanization.

A visual recording was also produced to highlight some of the thematic sessions and the conference side event on “Voices of Youth for Sustainable Mechanization & Digitalization”.

Call to action

At the end of the conference, FAO invited governments, development partners and stakeholders to implement the concluding Conference call to action which comprises 15 core activities in line with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This call for action outlines a comprehensive framework for improving the productivity and sustainability of agriculture through mechanization and digitalization. It focuses on improving access to mechanization adapted to local conditions, investing in precision technologies for small-scale farming and creating high-tech post-harvest supply chains to reduce waste. It also encourages sustainable agro-industrial practices and climate-smart mechanization, with policies that support GHG emissions reduction and resource protection. The importance of digital infrastructure and skills training for smallholder farmers is highlighted, as well as the need for research into automation and AI integration. Strengthening supply chains, harmonizing machinery standards and promoting inclusive business models are also prioritized. The call to action emphasizes strong institutional support, the creation of an enabling environment for mechanization services, and the involvement of young people in agricultural entrepreneurship and innovation.

The full call to action is available in the publication.

FAO is committed to provide technical support at country, regional and global levels. This includes encouraging and leading policy dialogues, supporting countries and national governments in developing and implementing national policies, regulations and laws that support sustainable development of agricultural mechanization, and facilitating the establishment and operation of effective mechanisms such as a multi-stakeholder global panel to ensure the effective implementation of the conference call to action.