Renewed Global Partnership to Advance Sustainable Mechanisation
A new phase of international cooperation has been launched to promote sustainable and digital innovation in global agriculture, following the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The agreement, signed in Rome and Brussels on 23 October 2025, extends a decade-long partnership aimed at supporting sustainable agricultural mechanization (SAM) and fostering innovation in farming systems worldwide.
Since 2015, CEMA and FAO have worked together to promote inclusive, climate-smart mechanization through policy dialogue, technical cooperation, and the exchange of knowledge and expertise. The renewed MoU expands collaboration to include digital technologies and artificial intelligence, helping farmers increase productivity while reducing emissions and labour demands.
“In this next phase of the partnership, we will not only continue promoting sustainable agricultural mechanization at the smallholder farmer level but also explore the application of precision and digital agriculture, including artificial intelligence,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “We will leverage CEMA’s technical expertise together with FAO’s Science and Innovation Strategy – including work on safety guidelines for drones and pilots of small agricultural robots.”
Over the past decade, joint achievements have included the launch of the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization for Africa (F-SAMA), CEMA’s Position Paper on SAM presented to the European Commission, and the organization of the first agricultural machinery exhibition during FAO’s Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (GAMC) in 2023.
CEMA Vice-President Carlo Lambro said the partnership underscores the agricultural machinery industry’s role in delivering practical innovation. “Our partnership with FAO reflects CEMA’s strong commitment to advancing sustainable farming through innovation and collaboration. Agricultural machinery has the power to transform lives, and together we are ensuring that this transformation is sustainable, inclusive, and beneficial for farmers everywhere—from Europe to Africa and beyond.”
Looking ahead, both organizations plan to strengthen cooperation in the field, with a focus on data-driven policy support and practical implementation. The partnership reaffirms a shared vision of a more productive, resilient, and climate-smart agricultural future.
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