The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing the first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (GAMC), with the theme “Efficiency, Inclusiveness and Resilience” from 27 to 29 September 2023. This event will provide a neutral forum for FAO Members, farmers, universities, agricultural scientists, mechanization service providers, development agencies, policy makers, extension specialists, civil society, opinion leaders and private sector for focused dialogues to prioritise actions and strengthen technical networks for sustainable development of agricultural mechanization.
Recent and significant progress has been achieved in sustainable agricultural mechanization, including appropriate tools, equipment and machines adapted to sustainable plant production and protection, land management, and precision agriculture. These advances need to be scaled, according to local contexts, to achieve sustainable agricultural production and transformation of agrifood systems, protect the environment, manage natural resources, mitigate and adapt to climate change while creating decent jobs, social equity and achieving food security and improved nutrition.
The conference will bring together a wide spectrum of relevant stakeholders to debate and synthesize evidence on innovations that confer efficiency, inclusiveness and resilience to the various components of SAM systems for possible scaling-up and adoption, particularly in developing countries, the core of FAO’s work, with four objectives:
The GAMC will highlight ways for context-specific interventions to optimize the use of agricultural equipment and harness its benefits while minimizing harmful effects on the environment. These interventions will contribute to achieving the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 with a focus on sustainability: increasing production of nutritious food and generating income while protecting the environment, providing decent jobs and creating social equity.
The conference will allow participants to discuss the potential opportunities and challenges of SAM technologies in improving global agricultural productivity, across seven themes:
Mechanization for Sustainable Crop Production
The theme will enable discussions on how to enhance crop productivity of field and high-value crops, fostering timeliness and efficiency, by using the SAM technologies related to different operation levels and production systems.
Post-harvest Management and Agro-processing
The theme will demonstrate their important roles in improving the efficiency and timeliness of operations, leading to the reduction of post-harvest losses and enabling value addition and agro-processing, with a particular attention of supporting women and youth.
Climate Change and Resilient Mechanization
The theme will focus on identifying practices that lead to optimal use of soil, water, and nutrients and on highlighting farm management that considers temporal and spatial variability to improve sustainability of agricultural production.
Digitalization and Automation
The theme will provide an opportunity to discuss the great potential for productivity gains and sustainability for agricultural systems, and for innovation, which is very promising for the agricultural mechanization sub-sector, including in low-income countries.
Supply Chains and Standards
The theme will involve machinery and equipment suppliers as well as machinery testing institutions to make equipment and machinery more available, and of good quality, especially for small-scale farmers.
Business Models and Multi-stakeholder Engagement
The theme will address various issues related to small-scale farmers, women and youth, and suggest ways to develop new business models by engaging multi-stakeholder players in the promotion, management and operation of modern agricultural equipment and machinery.
Enabling Environment for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization and Digitalization
The theme will focus on the promotion of the SAM through supportive policies and strategies, capacity development, extension services, research and investment support.
The farmers’ and mechanization service providers’ perspectives will be maintained during the conference as a continuous thread across all sessions, elevating their voices. Each theme will place a common emphasis on systems, practices and technologies that increase resilience to climate change, promote food security, improved nutrition, protect the environment and biodiversity.